The regulations on the universal USB-C charger will allow you to decide whether to buy a new device with this accessory

21 Apr. (Portaltic/EP) –

Spain is already preparing the regulations that will establish the USB Type-C port as universal charger in electronic devices, a measure that responds to the transposition of the European directive and that will allow users to choose if they want to buy the charger together with the new device.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through the Secretary of State for Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, has launched in a public hearing this Thursday the Royal Decree for the modification of the regulation that regulates the use of USB type C as a universal charger, the obligation of which will enter into force on December 28, 2024.

With this it is pursued interoperability of charging systems between the devices and waste reduction electronics, and also that consumers have all information about the cargo when they purchase new equipment, such as the equipment’s charging capabilities and compatible charging devices.

But consumers too They will be able to decide if they want to accompany the new device they buy with a charger. This is due to a newly introduced article (art.3 bis) in the European directive, which additionally requires reporting on whether or not the charger is included in the product package.

The information on the charging system and the presence or absence of a charger must be indicated by a label and a pictogramrespectively, both on the packaging and in the instructions, and in the case of “distance selling case” – near the price indication.

Regarding a possible increase in the price of chargers, the Royal Decree states that “the impact assessment carried out by the EC determines that, in global terms, consumers will save money by buying fewer chargers due to the possibility of reusing them”.

DIRECTIVE EUROPE

Directive 2022/2380 of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union establishes that Member States must apply the mandatory nature of the USB type C port as a universal charger as of December 28, 2024.

This date affects, in addition to the ‘smartphones’ –including iPhone-, to other categories of electronic devices, such as tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable game consoles, wireless speakers, electronic readers (‘eReaders’), and accessories like keyboards, mice, headsets, and portable navigation devices.

laptopsFor their part, they have a longer period of time to adapt to the new regulations, which have been established until April 28, 2026. Likewise, the standard exempts smart watches and activity bracelets from the mandatory adoption of the USB Type-C port, due to their size and conditions of use.