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For a couple of years now, the European Union has been rolling out rules requiring USB-C to be the standard charging port across a wide range of devices, and the list of products covered by the regulation has been growing steadily.

 

Since December 2024, mobile phones, tablets, headphones, cameras and game consoles have all been required to include a USB-C port for sale in Europe. Laptops joined the list on April 28 this year.

 

The EU's ultimate goal is to cut down on the mountain of different chargers that tend to pile up in homes and reduce electronic waste in the process. It also puts an end to the practice some manufacturers used of bundling proprietary chargers with their products, effectively locking users into buying brand-specific accessories.

 

Under the new rules, a single USB-C cable should be able to charge your phone, headphones and other compatible devices, and all of them must support USB Power Delivery.

 

Brussels is also tightening up the rules around software and cybersecurity, requiring manufacturers to guarantee security updates and better protect user data on internet-connected devices throughout their entire lifespan. For anyone who's ever had a gadget stop receiving updates a year or two after purchase, that's a significant shift.

 

All of this falls under the EU's wider push to make technology safer, easier to use and more compatible across the board, the kind of thinking that already sits behind the CE marking you'll find on phones, appliances and other devices sold across Europe.

 

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