We heard our device must charge with USB-C
Under the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU, as amended by Directive (EU) 2022/2380, phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, headsets, earbuds, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, navigation devices and handheld consoles that charge by cable need a USB Type-C receptacle, and USB Power Delivery above 5 V, 3 A or 15 W. National rules apply from 28 December 2024, and from 28 April 2026 for laptops.
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Reviewed 4 October 2026 by the Conphora compliance team · Not legal advice
Why this happens
The common charger is not a separate law. Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amended the Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU so that the listed categories of radio equipment must comply with the charging specifications in a new Annex Ia (Article 3(4)). Annex Ia, Part I lists handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops.[1]
Two technical requirements follow. Where a listed device can be recharged by cable, it must have the USB Type-C receptacle described in EN IEC 62680-1-3:2022, accessible and operational at all times, and charge with compliant cables (Annex Ia, Part I, point 2). Where it charges above 5 V, 3 A or 15 W, it must incorporate USB Power Delivery under EN IEC 62680-1-2:2022, and any other charging protocol must leave USB Power Delivery fully functional (point 3).[1]
The amendment also unbundles the charger. An economic operator that offers a listed device with a charger must also offer it without one (Article 3a(1)), and a pictogram on the packaging shows whether a charger is included (Article 3a(2) and Annex Ia, Part III). The manufacturer adds the charging information to the instructions and puts a label on the packaging stating the minimum and maximum charging power (Article 10(8) and Annex Ia, Parts II and IV). Importers and distributors make sure the label is displayed, close to the price in distance selling (Articles 12(4) and 13(2)).[1]
The dates come from the amending directive. Member States had to transpose it by 28 December 2023 and apply the measures from 28 December 2024 for the first twelve categories and from 28 April 2026 for laptops (Directive (EU) 2022/2380, Article 2(1)).[2]
How to solve it
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Check whether the device is a listed radio product
The common charger rules sit in the Radio Equipment Directive, so they cover products that intentionally emit or receive radio waves for communication or radiodetermination. Annex Ia, Part I lists the categories: handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops.
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Fit a USB Type-C receptacle that always works
If the device can be recharged by cable, it must have the USB Type-C receptacle described in EN IEC 62680-1-3:2022, accessible and operational at all times, and it must charge with cables that comply with that standard.
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Add USB Power Delivery for fast charging
If the device charges by cable above 5 V, 3 A or 15 W, it must incorporate USB Power Delivery under EN IEC 62680-1-2:2022, and any additional charging protocol must allow the full functionality of USB Power Delivery, whatever charger is used.
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Offer the device without a charger and show the pictogram
If you offer the device together with a charger, you must also offer it without one. Show whether a charger is included with the pictogram in Annex Ia, Part III, printed on or stuck to the packaging, at least 7 mm in size, and close to the price in distance selling.
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Put the charging label in the instructions and on the packaging
State in the instructions the minimum and maximum power the charger must deliver, and 'USB PD fast charging' where it applies. Print the label in Annex Ia, Part IV in the instructions and on the packaging, and show it close to the price when selling at a distance. Importers and distributors check that the label is there.
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Update the technical file and the declaration
Compliance with the charging requirements in Article 3(4) is demonstrated with one of the conformity assessment procedures in Article 17(2). Add the charging specifications to the technical documentation and update the EU declaration of conformity before the product is placed on the market.
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Work through the steps in the platform with your own product.
What you need to show
| Document | Where it comes from | Legal ground |
|---|---|---|
| Technical documentation covering the charging requirements | The manufacturer | Radio Equipment Directive Articles 10(3) and 21 |
| EU declaration of conformity, or the simplified version with the web address of the full text | The manufacturer | Radio Equipment Directive Article 10(3) and (9) |
| Charging label and pictogram on the packaging and in the instructions | The manufacturer; checked by importers and distributors | Radio Equipment Directive Articles 3a(2), 10(8), 12(4) and 13(2) and Annex Ia |
If you do nothing
Importers may not place it on the market
An importer that considers or has reason to believe that radio equipment does not conform with the essential requirements in Article 3, which include the charging requirements, shall not place it on the market until it has been brought into conformity (Radio Equipment Directive Article 12(2)).[1]
Retailers must check the label
Distributors that make the listed devices available to consumers must ensure the charging label is displayed, close to the price in distance selling, and must not make non-conforming equipment available (Radio Equipment Directive Article 13(2)).[1]
Penalties under national law
Member States lay down effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for infringements by economic operators, which may include criminal penalties for serious infringements (Radio Equipment Directive Article 46).[1]
Questions about this problem
Does the rule cover a device without Bluetooth or Wi-Fi?
The common charger requirements are part of the Radio Equipment Directive and apply to the categories of radio equipment listed in Annex Ia, Part I (Article 3(4)). A product that is not radio equipment within Article 2(1)(1) is not covered by them.
Do we still have to put a charger in the box?
No. You may sell the device with a charger, but if you do you must also offer it without one, and the pictogram shows the buyer which version it is (Radio Equipment Directive Article 3a(1) and (2)).
From when does it apply to laptops?
Member States apply the measures from 28 December 2024 for the categories in Annex Ia, Part I, points 1.1 to 1.12, and from 28 April 2026 for laptops (point 1.13) (Directive (EU) 2022/2380, Article 2(1)).
What about wireless charging?
The Commission is empowered to add specifications for charging by means other than wired charging by delegated act, and was to request harmonised standards for them by 28 December 2024 (Radio Equipment Directive Article 3(4)). The current Part I requirements concern wired charging.
Is the stand-alone charger itself covered?
The Annex Ia requirements are addressed to the listed radio equipment, not to a charger sold on its own. A mains charger has its own rules, such as the Low Voltage and EMC Directives and the ecodesign rules for external power supplies; Regulation (EU) 2025/2052, applying from 14 December 2028, also covers wireless chargers and USB Type-C cables (Articles 1 and 10).
Sources
- Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment (consolidated text of 30 May 2026) EUR-Lex · accessed 4 October 2026
- Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amending Directive 2014/53/EU (common charger) EUR-Lex · accessed 4 October 2026
About this page
- Reviewer
- Conphora compliance team
- Reviewed
- 4 October 2026
General information, not legal advice. Check the legal text or ask an adviser about your own product.
Conphora (2026). We heard our device must charge with USB-C. Retrieved 13 October 2026 from https://www.conphora.com/solutions/problem/charger-common-port/
Conphora (2026) We heard our device must charge with USB-C. Available at: https://www.conphora.com/solutions/problem/charger-common-port/ (Accessed 13 October 2026).
@misc{conphora2026weheardourdevicemustchar,
author = {Conphora},
title = {We heard our device must charge with USB-C},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.conphora.com/solutions/problem/charger-common-port/},
note = {Retrieved 13 October 2026}
} See it working before you add a product
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