As of Tuesday 28 April 2026, all laptops sold in the European Union must have a USB-C port for charging, in accordance with Directive 2022/2380. The measure, already applicable to mobiles and tablets, aims to reduce electronic waste and simplify users. Manufacturers are required to offer a purchase option without a charger, with many removing it completely from the packaging. However, old smartphone chargers (20-30 Watt) are not sufficient for laptops that need at least 65 Watts, forcing consumers to an additional cost of 40-50 euros for stronger chargers.
Analyticalally:
As of today, Tuesday 28 April 2026, the technological landscape in the European Union is changing permanently. With the expiration of the adjustment period provided for in Directive 2022/2380, all laptops available for sale in Member States are now required to incorporate a USB-C port as a charging interface.
This measure, which already applies to mobile phones, tablets and other micro-packs, is now being extended to computers, eliminating the «polyphony» cylinder connectors and exclusive chargers that forced users to maintain entire collections of incompatible cables.
This move by Brussels aims to reduce electronic waste and simplify the everyday life of citizens. However, the new reality hides important details of consumer pocket.
Although legislation does not prohibit companies from including a charger in the packaging, it obliges them to provide a choice of buying the device without it. Experience from smartphone shows that many manufacturers, under the pretext of protecting the environment, choose to remove the charger completely from the box, selling it as separate accessories.
Here comes the main technical issue: the old charger of your mobile phone, although it will naturally fit the port of your new laptop, will probably not be able to charge it effectively. While a typical smartphone charger provides 20-30 Watt power, a laptop requires at least 65 Watts, with the most powerful models touching or even exceeding 100 Watts.
This means that many users will be forced to invest in new, stronger and clearly more expensive chargers, the cost of which usually starts from EUR 40 to EUR 50, adding an additional financial burden to their new computer market.
