Universal charger standard：Directive (EU) 2022/2380

Background

The European Union officially released the revised Directive (EU) 2022/2380 on universal chargers in the Official Journal OJ on December 7, 2022, to supplement the requirements for universal charging interfaces in 3.3(a) of the RED Directive 2014/53/EU. Specific implementation requirements.

 

01  Overview of the new directive

The revised directive applies to smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headsets, headsets with microphones, handheld game consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation in-ear headsets and laptop computers A total of 13 categories of wireless equipment.

Note:

Except for laptops, which will be mandatory on December 28, 2026, the remaining revised directives will be mandatory in all EU member states from December 28, 2024. In other words, products sold to specific markets after this date must meet the new requirements.

 

02  Main contents of the new directive:

1）Summary of modification instructions

As long as the 13 categories of products in the new revised directive can be charged through cables, they are required to be equipped with a USB Type-C ® charging interface that complies with the EN IEC 62680-1-3:2021 standard and be able to use charging cables that comply with the same standard. For charging, devices that support fast charging should comply with the USB PD (Power Delivery) protocol of the EN IEC 62680-1-2:2021 standard.

Article 3.3(a) of the original directive has been revised and Article 3.4 has been added to supplement the specific implementation requirements for universal charging interfaces.

Updated the responsibilities and obligations of economic operators such as manufacturers, importers, and distributors.

2）Detailed explanation of label

This new directive also adds information labels, allowing users to know at a glance whether the device comes with a charger, the minimum charging power of the device, the maximum charging power, whether it supports the USB PD charging standard, etc. The legibility allows consumers to easily learn about the device. Charging related information for convenient purchase.

In order to allow consumers to clearly understand the charging power specification information of the device, all products listed in the specification must display or provide a label. The label type is as shown in the figure.

 

The picture above shows what the label looks like when the device comes with a charger, and the picture below shows what the label looks like when it doesn’t come with a charger.

 

The label diagram needs to be scaled proportionally, where a should not be smaller than 7mm.

The letters “XX” shall be replaced by the figure corresponding to the minimum power required by the radio equipment to charge, which determines the minimum power that a charging device needs to supply to charge the radio equipment.

The letters “YY” shall be replaced by the figure corresponding to the maximum power required by the radio equipment to achieve maximum charging speed, which determines the power that a charging device needs to supply at least to achieve that maximum charging speed.

When the charger supports USBPD (charging voltage is greater than 5V, current is greater than 3A or power is greater than 15W), the abbreviation “USBPD” should be displayed.

 

03  Significance      

As early as 2009, the EU has been committed to promoting the unification of charging interfaces for consumer electronics products, reducing resource waste and promoting green environmental protection. At the same time, the universalization of charging accessories also brings a better charging experience to consumers.

On October 4, 2022, the European Parliament voted at a plenary session to make the USB-C interface a universal charging standard for small electronic devices by the end of 2024. Universal chargers will provide convenience to consumers, reduce the environmental burden caused by the production and disposal of chargers, and ensure innovation.

Future development trends

Taking headphones as an example, according to data from market research organization Euromonitor, Western Europe will be the world’s largest headphone market in 2023, and is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 11% from 2023 to 2026. Therefore, Europe is a market that wireless headset manufacturers cannot ignore. In the future, customers will also need to speed up the follow-up of charging interface technology and related standards.