EU publishes interpretation guidance for Common Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380

In November 2022, the EU official diary published the EU Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380, which was used as a revision of the EU RED Directive 2014/53/EU, adding a necessary requirement Article 3.4 for the compliance of certain devices within the scope of the RED Directive. From the date of mandatory implementation of the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380, when wireless products within the scope of the directive conduct conformity assessments of the RED Directive before entering the EU market, in addition to considering safety, EMC, wireless and other compliance, they must also confirm that they meet the requirements of the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380.

Related products and implementation time:

According to the provisions of the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380, if the following 13 types of equipment within the scope of the RED Directive are allowed to use wired charging, they must meet the requirements of the Universal Charger Directive before entering the EU market from the date of mandatory implementation.

Handheld mobile phones

Tablets

Digital cameras

Headphones

Headphones with microphones

Handheld video game consoles

Portable speakers

E-readers

Keyboards

Mouse

Portable navigation systems

In-ear headphones

Laptops

The mandatory implementation date for the above categories 1-12 products is December 28, 2024, and the mandatory implementation date for category 13 products is April 28, 2026.

For the above category 13 devices, if the charging voltage is less than or equal to 5V, the charging current is less than or equal to 3A, or the charging power is less than or equal to 15W, it is necessary to meet the requirements of EN IEC 62680-1-3. If the charging voltage is greater than or equal to 5V, the charging current is greater than or equal to 3A, or the charging power is greater than or equal to 15W, it is also necessary to add some requirements of EN IEC 62680-1-2 (USB PD) for evaluation.

The implementation of the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380 is of great significance. With the implementation of the directive, non-USB Type C interface products around the world may gradually come to an end, which is undoubtedly of great significance for reducing electronic waste.

In order to answer many questions about the implementation of the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380, on May 7, the European Commission published the interpretation guide C/2024/2997 on the implementation of the directive in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ). The interpretation guide explains more than 50 questions from all parties in the industry about the implementation of the universal directive in the form of questions and answers. These include the charger requirements and transition time issues that are of general concern.

About chargers

Although the RED directive itself does not directly define universal chargers, RED requires that wireless devices of specified categories must be able to use coordinated wired charging, which is equivalent to indirectly promoting the implementation of universal chargers. The specific requirements for chargers will be implemented by updating the EU Regulation 2019/1782 on Ecodesign Requirements for External Power Adapters. The current estimated time is early 2025. That is to say, it is expected that in early 2025, the EU will implement updated ecological regulations for external power adapters and relevant requirements for universal chargers will be added to the updated EPS eco-design regulations. The evaluation required by the Universal Charger Directive (EU) 2022/2380 is only on the above-mentioned wireless devices themselves. Manufacturers of these devices can choose whether to sell them with a charger and make corresponding marks on the product label or outer packaging. If they are sold with a charger, mark the mark in Figure 1.1. If not, mark the mark in Figure 1.2.

About the transition period

The Universal Charger Directive will be announced at the end of 2022 and enforced at the end of 2024, providing a two-year transition period to allow manufacturers sufficient time to ensure that their products meet the new requirements. Therefore, all products entering the market from the date of mandatory implementation, whether new models or old models that have been sold, must ensure that they meet the new requirements. As for the inventory products that have entered the EU market before the mandatory date, there is no need to investigate whether they comply with the new regulations and can continue to be sold legally. For the rules in this regard, please refer to the provisions of the "Blue Guide", the implementation guide of the EU directive, in detail.