In order to contribute to the green and digital transformation of the EU, to enhance consumer convenience and to create a universal charging solution, the EU formally published in the Official Journal on December 7, 2022, a revised Directive Directive (EU) 2022/2380 on universal chargers to complement 3.3(a) in RED Directive Directive 2014/53/EU The revised Directive mainly covers the following.
The revised Directive mainly covers the following:
All relevant devices must be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port compliant with EN IEC62680-1-3:2022 and can be charged using a charging cable compliant with the same standard.
Devices that support fast charging (greater than 5 V or 3 A or 15 watts) shall support the USB PD fast charging protocol according to EN IEC62680-1-2:2022.
Consumers have the option to purchase devices without a bundled charger and manufacturers are required to provide consumers with information on the charging performance of their devices.
The revised directive covers 13 categories of wireless devices, including smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headsets, handheld game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, and laptops.
The mandatory implementation date for each type of product is:
Except for notebook computers, the mandatory implementation date for the other 12 categories of products is December 28, 2024.
April 28, 2026 for laptops.
For more information about the requirements of the directive, please refer to the official website https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2380/oj.
In order to help all parties to better understand these regulations and to maintain the unity and consistency in the subsequent implementation, on May 7, 2024, the Official Journal of the European Union also formally published Circular C/2024/2997, which serves as the official guidance document of the Universal Charger Directive, answering the questions of the industry on the implementation of the Directive in the form of Q&A, and some of the key points are summarized as follows:
Q 1: Does the Universal Charger Directive only apply to rechargeable devices?
A: Yes. The Universal Charger Directive applies to radio equipment that (a) falls within one of the 13 categories of radio equipment listed in the Directive; (b) has a removable or embedded rechargeable battery; and (c) can be charged by means of corded charging.
Q 2: Can a 6 pin Type-C be used for charging?
A: No, only USB C sockets (12, 16 and 24 pin) as specified in EN IEC 62680-1-3 can be used.
Q 3: If a radio device contains an internal power supply, does it apply to the RED Universal Charger Directive?
A: No. Radio equipment that contains an internal power supply and can be powered directly by AC current is not covered by the RED Universal Charger Directive.
Q 4: Are other types of charging sockets allowed besides USB-C sockets?
A: Other types of charging sockets are allowed as long as the radio equipment described in the directive is also equipped with a specified USB-C socket.
Q5: Are other specialized charging protocols than USB-PD allowed?
A: Yes, radios greater than 5 V 3 A or 15 W need to support the USB PD protocol, and it is permissible to continue to use fast charging protocols other than USB PD as long as they do not interfere with the normal operation of the USB PD protocol.
