REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on market developments, market fragmentation and technological progress of wired charging for radio equipment
Date: 2026-06-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission
Subjects: electric cable, electrical equipment, energy supply, market approval, market supervision, marketing standard, technical specification, technological change, telecommunications equipment

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 30.6.2026  COM(2026) 329 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on market developments, market fragmentation and technological progress of wired charging for radio equipment  
 
 
1  Introduction 
The  Radio  Equipment  Directive  (1)  (RED)  sets  out  essential  requirements  for  certain  aspects  of  radio 
equipment that are of public interest in the EU. The RED was amended by Directive (EU) 2022/2380 (2) 
(the Common Charger Directive), which introduced five requirements, referred to as the ‘common charger 
requirements’ (CCRs): 

−  USB Type-C receptacles for charging on the device end; 
−  USB Power Delivery (USB PD) charging protocol for devices requiring more than 15 W; 
−  a label informing consumers about the charging characteristics of devices; 
−  unbundled sale of chargers and devices; and 
−  a pictogram showing whether a charger is included in the packaging or not. 

Since 28 December 2024, the CCRs apply to mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, 
headphones,  headsets,  handheld  videogame  consoles,  portable  speakers,  keyboards,  mice,  and  portable 
navigation systems (3). Since 28 April 2026, they also apply to laptops (4). 

In addition, the European Commission adopted a Regulation laying down new ecodesign requirements for 
External Power Supplies (EPS) (5) complementing the RED. It will apply as of 14 December 2028, and will 
introduce the following main interoperability requirements to ensure the widespread use of the common 
charger: 

• 

all radio equipment chargers on the EU market to be common chargers i.e. chargers with at least 
one USB Type-C port by default; 
all common chargers and cables on the EU market to meet USB Type-C standards; 

• 
•  EPS placed on the EU market to be common changers, extending common chargers  to a broader 
range  of  products  beyond  radio  equipment  to  maximise  interoperability.  Exemptions  from  this 
obligation apply  e.g. to  EPS  used in  wet  environments  or  with  vacuum  cleaners,  certain  power 
tools, toys and audio equipment; 
common chargers to operate only with detachable cables and be marked at each port with the power 
supported; 
a new EU common charger logo to be applied on common chargers. 

• 

• 

The Council and Parliament have shown substantial interest in the possible future extension of the scope of 
application of the CCRs. Hence, under Article 3(4) of the amended RED, the Commission is obliged to 

(1)   Directive 2014/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of 
the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing 
Directive 1999/5/EC (OJ L 153, 22.5.2014, p. 62, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/53/oj). 

(2)   Directive (EU) 2022/2380 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 November 2022 amending 

Directive 2014/53/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available 
on the market of radio equipment (OJ L 315, 7.12.2022, pp. 30-43, ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2022/2380/oj). 

(3)   In so far as they can be recharged via wired charging. 
(4)   In so far as they can be recharged via wired charging. 
(5)   Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2052 of 13 October 2025 laying down ecodesign requirements for external 
power supplies, wireless chargers, wireless charging pads, battery chargers for portable batteries of general use 
and USB Type-C cables, pursuant to Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council 
and repealing Commission Regulation (EU) 2019/1782 (OJ L, 2025/2052, 24.11.2025, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2052/oj). 

1 

 
 
 
regularly  report  on  market  developments,  market  fragmentation  and  technological  progress  of  radio 
equipment. The aim is to identify new categories or classes of radio equipment that could be covered by 
the  CCRs,  which  could  improve  consumer  convenience,  reduce  environmental  waste  and  avoid  market 
fragmentation. As a follow-up to this reporting obligation, Article 3(4) also requires the Commission  to 
adopt delegated acts modifying, adding or removing categories or classes of radio equipment. To support 
the analysis in the report, the Commission procured a study (6) (the study), and gathered data from other 
sources such as Statista. 

In  line  with  Article 3(4)  of  the  amended  RED,  Section 2  of  the  report  assesses  market  developments, 
beginning with an overall market analysis of the four main market segments covered by the RED. It then 
explains the criteria used for selecting potential subsegments or product categories to which the CCRs could 
be  extended  and  provides  an  analysis  of  their  market  sizes  and  sales.  Section 3  examines  market 
fragmentation and technological progress, assessing whether there are technological barriers to extending 
the CCRs to such product categories. Section 4 looks at the possible environmental impact and savings for 
consumers. Section 5 concludes with a list of product categories to which the CCRs could apply based on 
this analysis. 

2  Market developments 

2.1  Evolution of the main market segments covered by the RED 
There are four main market segments covered by the RED:  

1) consumer electronics;  
2) smart appliances;  
3) plastic and other toys; and 
4) wearable electronic devices (wearables). 

The consumer electronics segment includes the following subsegments (i) telephony, including all mobile 
phones; (ii) TV, radio & multimedia, including digital cameras, e-readers, tablets, portable speakers, and 
earwear  (headphones,  headsets,  earbuds);  (iii)  computing,  including  all  IT  equipment  such  as  laptops, 
keyboards or mice; (iv) TV peripheral devices, including smart streaming devices, smart remotes, and video 
players; (v) drones, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) used 
for personal purposes; and (vi) gaming equipment, including augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) headsets, 
handheld videogame consoles and videogame controllers. 

Market  revenues  for  all  subsegments,  except  computing,  have  grown  since  2019  and  are  expected  to 
continue  growing  (some  by  more  than  5%  yearly  until  2030).  A  substantial  share  of  the  consumer 
electronics segment, including some of the fastest growing subsegments (such as mobile phones or tablets), 
is already covered by the CCRs (see Figure 1). For example, earwear worldwide shipments are expected to 
grow steadily from 360 million (m) units in 2025 to 400m units in 2028 (7). 

The  smart  appliances  segment  includes  directly  or  indirectly  internet-controllable  (i)  large  smart 
household  appliances  such  as  fridges,  washing  machines,  dishwashers,  and  ovens;  (ii)  personal  care 

(6)   Study analysing the possible application of common charger requirements to radio equipment not covered by 

the Directive – Final report, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/628130. 

(7)   Commission’s calculations based on data from Statista. 

2 

 
 
 
devices; and (iii) small smart household appliances, such as coffee machines, vacuum and mowing robots, 
and microwaves. Revenues have grown at a steady rate since 2020 (to around EUR 8 billion (bn) in 2024) 
and are expected to increase by more than 50% between 2024 and 2029 (8). 

The  plastic  and  other  toys  segment  covers  (i)  drawing  and  painting  sets  (9);  (ii)  craft  kits  (10); 
(iii) playground equipment (11); and (iv) remote-controlled toys (12). Market revenue from both online and 
offline sales  has been  decreasing slightly since 2022 (around EUR 5.3 bn) to reach around EUR 5bn in 
2027, but is expected to grow again as of 2028 (13). 

The  wearable  electronic  devices  or  wearables  segment  is  composed  of  (i)  smartwatches;  (ii)  fitness 
trackers; (iii) smartglasses; (iv) wristbands; (v) smart clothes; and (vi) other modular devices (14). Shipments 
of smartwatches (a large subsegment) are forecast to grow steadily from 164m units in 2025 to 175m units 
in 2028, as are shipments of smart glasses (from 1.9m units in 2025 to 2.4m units in 2028 (15)). 

2.2  Assessment of market segments not covered by the CCRs 
An in-depth market review16 was undertaken to determine to which new categories of radio equipment the 
CCRs could be extended. The following approach (see Figure 1) was used to frame the scope of the in-
depth  market  analysis.  First,  the  radio  equipment  should  (a)  fall  within  the  scope  of  the  RED;  (b) be 
equipped with a removable or embedded rechargeable battery; and (c) be rechargeable via wired charging. 
Second,  three  key,  cumulative  criteria  should  be  met  (1)  the  market  size  of  the  subsegment  should  be 
significant, with sales likely to remain constant or grow in the future; (2) the devices with RED features 
should represent a non-negligible portion of the subsegment; and (3) there should be no technical conditions 
concerning the devices that would rule out application of the CCRs. 

The  in-depth analysis identified  nine  categories  of  radio  equipment listed  below  as meeting  the  criteria 
above to apply CCRs. All other categories examined were disregarded because they either already apply 
the  CCRs  or  did  not  satisfy  the  two  conditions  above.  For  example,  smart  household  appliances  were 
excluded because most are not battery-operated, while smart clothing, modular devices and most personal 
care  devices  were  disregarded  due  to  limited  market  size  and  sales.  Non-remote-controlled  toys  were 
excluded as they mostly use AA-type batteries, of which many are Ni batteries. Most electronic learning 
toys do not fall under the RED, and those that do are already covered by the CCRs under other categories 
like tablets. 

Consumer electronics 

Wearables 

•  AR/VR headsets 
•  drones intended for personal purposes 
•  videogame controllers 

smart watches 
fitness trackers 
smart glasses 

• 
• 
• 
•  wristbands 

Smart appliances 

Plastic and other toys 

(8)   Ibidem. 
(9)   For example, Crayola Inspiration Art Case and Melissa & Doug Deluxe Art Set. 
(10)   For example, Klutz Make Clay Charms Kit and Alex Toys Simply Needlepoint Craft Kit. 
(11)   For example, swings, slides, trampolines, climbing frames, and playhouses. 
(12)   For example, Maisto RC cars and trucks. 
(13)   Commission’s calculations based on data from Statista. 
(14)   Modular devices are devices that can be worn over the body and are composed of multiple elements. Examples 

of modular devices are bracelets composed of different segments. 

(15)   Commission’s calculations based on data from Statista. 
(16)   The study including consultations (expert group, interviews with relevant stakeholders, and consumer survey). 

3 

 
 
 
•  battery-operated electric toothbrushes 

• 

remote-controlled toys  

Further analysis focused on trends in sales of the selected radio equipment categories. The following key 
trends were identified. 

−  Approximately 1.5m AR/VR headsets were sold across 20 EU Member States in 2022, up from 
0.8m  in  2018  and  0.7m  in  2020.  This  doubling  of  sales  came  with  the  launches  of  Meta’s  VR 
headset and of Oculus Quest 2. Online reports indicate that sales are expected to continue growing 
(17). 
In 2020, 700 000 drones intended for personal purposes were sold in the EU, and 1m units in 
2022. Sales are expected to continue to increase to 1.2m in 2028. Some drones are already covered 
by the CCRs due to their main function (e.g. cameras). 

− 

−  Sales of wireless videogame controllers increased from 4.5m in 2020 to 4.6m in 2022 and are 

expected to increase to around 4.8m units in 2028. 

−  The market for electric toothbrushes falling under the scope of the RED was estimated at 11.2m 

units in 2022. Sales are expected to remain stable. 

− 

−  The market for remote-controlled toys is estimated at around 1.5m units. Online reports also show 
that this market is steadily growing (18). As for drones, some toys are already covered by the CCRs 
due to their main function (e.g. cameras, tablets). 
In 2022, over 26m wearable devices were shipped to the EU, up from 14m in 2018 and 24m in 
2020. Smartwatches accounted for almost 80% of the shipments, followed by wristbands, fitness 
trackers and smartglasses. Online reports (19) and feedback from industry stakeholders indicate that 
the market is expected to grow in the next 5-10 years for all subsegments as innovation advances 
quickly. 

In sum, the identified categories fall within the scope of the RED, are equipped with a rechargeable battery, 
and can be recharged via wired charging. In addition, RED devices represent a significant share of each 
category, their market size is significant, sales are expected to remain constant or grow, and no technical 
limitations to the application of the CCRs were observed in the study. 

3  Market fragmentation and technological progress 
In  the  third  stage,  the  Commission  assessed  market  fragmentation  and  technological  progress.  The 
assessment  covered  potential  limitations  of  USB  Type-C,  safety  concerns  and  existing  applicable 
legislation, for different categories of radio equipment. The following elements were considered: 

•  use of a USB Type-C charging receptacle or, alternatively, use of a charging pad, case or box 

with a captive cable; 

•  use of USB PD fast charging protocol; and 
•  unbundling of charger or charging cable. 

The results are summarised in Table 1.  

(17)   https://www.statista.com/outlook/amo/ar-vr/worldwide#revenue. 
(18)   https://www.datainsightsmarket.com/reports/remote-control-toys-1917195. 
(19)   https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wearable-technology-market. 

4 

 
 
 
 
Categories of devices  Number  of 

Table 1 – Market fragmentation of charging characteristics, receptacle, protocol, and unbundling (Source: The study) 
USB Type-C 
charging 
receptacles 

Charging 
characteristics 

USB PD 
charging 
protocol 

Sold  with  a 
charger 

devices 
analysed 

Sold  with  a 
charging 
cable 

Captive cable 
in  wireless  / 
pin  charging 
pad,  case  or 
box 
32 

51% 

2 

10% 

0 

0% 

0 

0% 

0 

0% 

9 

60% 

7 

11% 

3 

15% 

1 

6% 

1 

4% 

0 

0% 

0 

3 

5% 

7 

65% 

1 

6% 

2 

9% 

6 

19% 

10 

19% 

59 

94% 

20 

100% 

16 

100% 

23 

100% 

31 

100% 

15 

100% 

Wearables 

63 

AR/VR headsets 

20 

I = 0.15 … 2 A 

U = 3.7 … 5 V 

P = 0.75 … 20 W 
I = 0.9 … 3 A 

U = 5 … 12 V 

P = 4.5 … 45 W 

Drones 

17 

I = 0.5 … 5 A 

Videogame 
controllers 

Remote-controlled 
toys 

Electric toothbrushes  15 

U = 4.7 … 52.8 V 

P = 12.9 … 77 W 

23 

I = 0.48 … 2 A 

U = 3.65 … 5 V 

P = 2.4 … 10 W 

31 

I = 0.1 … 2 A 

U = 3.2 … 11.1 V 

P = 0.45 … 10 W 

I = 0.7 … 3.9 A 

U = 3.6 … 5 V 

P = 2.5 … 3.5 W 

4 

6% 

8 

40% 

11 

65% 

18 

65% 

0 

0% 

1 

7% 

5 

 
 
 
3.1  Charging receptacle 
Table 1 shows that, of the products assessed in 2023, 65% of drones and videogame controllers and 40% 
of AR/VR headsets had a USB Type-C receptacle. This shows that manufacturers have to a large extent 
adjusted  to  the  requirement  to  use  this  receptacle  in  these  categories,  and  that  further  expansion  is 
technologically feasible for products that do not yet have a USB Type-C receptacle. 

For electric toothbrushes, adoption of USB Type-C was low, at 7% in 2023. Manufacturers explained that 
since toothbrushes are used and charged in wet environments, USB Type-C receptacles consistently failed 
to meet safety and performance requirements at the testing stage. Because of its small size, the USB Type-
C connector has a reduced space between pins. The presence of liquids or moisture in the receptacle can 
cause a shortening of the power pins. USB Type-C receptacles are therefore not currently suitable for use 
in wet environments. 

97% of remote-controlled toys used proprietary receptacle in 2023. While the analysis found no specific 
technological  barriers  to  changing  to  USB  Type-C,  manufacturers  indicated  that  providing  a  charger 
together  with  toys  ensures  optimal  charging  and  minimises  safety  risks  (users  are  mostly  children) 
(Section 3.3). In addition, existing standardisation requirements for toys require them to be equipped with 
a charger and have specific technical characteristics.  

For wearables, the rate of adoption of USB Type-C was low at the time of the study (6% in 2023). The 
small size and form of these devices may have influenced the choice of proprietary connectors and dedicated 
charging pads, cases or boxes. However, recent exchanges with industry suggest that the adoption of the 
Common Charger Directive in 2022, enhanced the adaptation of the charging method.  Moreover, the study 
suggests that adapting wearables to the USB Type-C receptacle would affect only the charging pad, case or 
box (e.g. most smartwatches use a pad which would need to be adapted) and no technological constraints 
or safety implications to the change were identified. On that basis it would appear that the technological 
adaptation would be easy to achieve   

For videogame controllers, the same reasoning applies to attachments to a main device, such as Joy-Con 
controllers  for  the  Nintendo  Switch.  These controllers  must  be  considered together  with  their  handheld 
consoles. The CCRs would therefore apply only to the main device. 

It  should  be  noted  that,  even  for  products  already  using  the  USB  Type-C  receptacle,  there may  still  be 
interoperability issues with a common charger. This is because some products do not fully comply with the 
USB specifications. The study found that over 60% of device owners still experienced difficulties charging 
them with a charger other than the included one on at least one occasion. 

The study found that manufacturers use proprietary charging solutions because of the size of the equipment 
(e.g. wearables), the environment in which it is used (e.g. electric toothbrushes) or specific legislative and 
standardisation considerations (e.g. toys) rather than for commercial reasons. 

Regarding technological progress in the field, the USB Type-C specification was revised several times to 
accommodate developments in the USB PD specification (see below). 

The analysis suggests that the  application of the CCRs is not suitable for  electric toothbrushes and 
remote-controlled toys, which are also excluded from the EPS Regulation, respectively because of safety 
concerns and regulatory requirements largely based on safety grounds. . 

6 

 
 
3.2  Fast charging 
Table 1 shows that only a few devices are equipped with USB PD. This can be explained by the fact that 
most devices (e.g. wearables) charge at low power and thus do not need an USB PD. In addition, under the 
CCRs  USB  PD  is  not  required  below  15 W.  According  to  the  study,  manufacturers  of  devices  where 
USB PD would be enforced (e.g. certain drones or AR/VR headsets) are either already using it or see its 
use as technically possible. 

As for the receptacle, products  declared compatible with USB PD may still  have interoperability issues 
with the common charger if the USB specifications are not applied in full. 

Some key developments in technological progress have been made in the field. 

• 

• 

In 2022, the USB PD (20) specification was revised, increasing power from 100 W to 240 W, with 
voltage  restricted  to  48 V.  USB PD  supports  high  power  and  enables  ‘fast  charging’  over  a 
USB Type-C connection. In 2025, the specification was updated again, consolidating support for a 
maximum  of  240 W  and  for  adjustable  voltage  supply.  USB PD  delivers  a  minimum  of  1 W 
(though it is mostly used above 15 W). 
In 2021, four Chinese manufacturers – Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi – released the Universal 
Fast Charging Specification (UFCS),  which reaches up to 36 V and delivers between 20 W and 
200 W. The study shows no evidence of UFCS-supporting devices sold in the EU market among 
those analysed in this report. However, a charger made by Huawei (21) was found. This charger 
integrates a USB A and a USB Type-C receptacle and is compatible with USB PD and UFCS. 

3.3  Unbundling of the charger 
Table 1 shows variations between device categories. For example, most wearables, drones and videogame 
controllers are sold without a charger, while AR/VR headsets are mostly sold with one. In the study, some 
manufacturers reported that end users in certain sectors (e.g. industrial or high-end products) expect to find 
a complete product in the box, and that providing a charger ensures optimal charging and minimises safety 
risks.  This  is  the  case  for  toys  which  are  sold  with  a  charger  due  to  standardisation  requirements  (e.g. 
EN IEC 62115:2020 supporting Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys). 

4  Cost-benefit considerations 
The analysis above shows that for several categories of radio equipment (drones, videogame controllers 
and AR/VR headsets), the switch to USB Type-C receptacles is under way, with the study identifying no 
technical constraints or possible safety concerns. Since many devices from these categories already comply 
fully or partially with the CCRs, manufacturers’ adaptation costs have been at least partially absorbed.  

For wearables (including smartwatches – the largest subsegment), some recent models already use USB 
Type-C on their charging pads, cases, or boxes. However, several models still require adaptation. It is also 
reasonable to expect that the share of products complying with certain CCRs has increased since the study 
as a spillover effect of the amended RED, in turn limiting adaptation costs. Some adaptation costs may 
alsolikely be partially absorbed as an effect of the Ecodesign EPS Regulation which which is assumed to 
lead indirectly to  further adoption of the USB Type-C receptacles on the analysed categories of devices.   

(20)   The USB PD specification is detailed in standard EN IEC 62680-1-2 (currently referred to in the CCRs). 
(21)   SuperPower Wall Charger (max. 88 W). 

7 

 
 
 
For  each  identified  category  of  devices,  the  impact  of  application  of  the  CCRs  on  the  environment, 
consumers and businesses is summarised in Table 2.  

Table 2 – Yearly average impacts of CCR application for 2026-2035 compared to the baseline (source: the 
study) 

Green 
House 
Gases 
(GHG) 
emissions 
[ktCO2] 
-10 
-0.3 
-0.5 
8 
1 110 

Material 
use [tonnes] 

E-waste 
[tonnes] 

-149 
-3 
-3 
233 
25 654 

-85 
-2 
3 
116 
23 667 

Spendings 
for 
consumers 
[NPV 
million 
EUR] 
-23 
-2 
-1 
-52 
6 926 

Costs for 
manufactur
ers [NPV 
million 
EUR] 

10 
-1 
1 
23 
1 492 

AR/VR headsets  
Drones  
Videogame controllers  
Wearables  
Baseline for 
smartphones, tablets, 
earwear, digital 
cameras, standalone 
chargers, and the 4 
categories above (22) 

For all categories but wearables, positive environmental benefits are identified. These benefits come mostly 
from unbundling the charger. Wearables are already sold without a charger, hence the needed technical 
adaptations would result in additional GHG emission, material use and e-waste.  

For  the  four  categories,  CCRs  would  result  in  monetary  savings  for  consumers.  These  outweigh  the 
monetary costs for manufacturers, notably for AR/VR headsets and wearables.  

The impacts of CCRs application to the identified categories (Table 2) are limited and represent less than 
1.5 % of the overall GHG emissions, material use, e-waste generation, consumer spendings and costs for 
manufacturers of the market (without new regulatory intervention) of smartphones, tablets, earwear, digital 
cameras, standalone chargers and the 4 categories identified.  

Beyond the expected impacts, the following considerations could justify mandating the application of CCRs 
to the above categories. 

- 

In the absence of legislative action, uptake would be left to the goodwill of manufacturers, which 
could result in slower adoption or even increased market fragmentation, as nothing would prevent 
manufacturers from relying only on proprietary solutions.  

-  The application of CCRs would complement the EPS Regulation to ensure that only USB Type-C 
receptacles would be used on the device side, thus encouraging a full uptake of the common charger 
solution. 

-  Although some products already incorporate the USB Type-C receptacle or USB PD fast charging 
protocol, they do not necessarily strictly apply the USB specifications (as these are not mandatory), 
therefore they may not be interoperable with common chargers.  

(22)   The study (raw data). 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
-  Although the unbundling of the charger is already taking place for certain categories, consumers 
are not given simple and harmonised information on the device’s charging requirements, which is 
one of the CCRs (see Section 1). 

5  Conclusions 
This report assessed several categories of products currently not covered by CCRs in line with Article 3(4) 
of the amended RED. Based on the criteria for inclusion presented in section 2, it identifies several product 
categories  of  radio  equipment  capable  of  being  recharged  by  means  of  wired  charging  for  which  the 
inclusion  in  Part  I  of  Annex  Ia  of  the  RED  could  lead  overall  to  improved  consumer  convenience  and 
savings and environmental benefits.  

For  all  product  categories,  consumer  savings  outweigh  manufacturing  costs  and  for  all  categories  but 
wearables the impact on the environment is positive. The categories are:  

Consumer electronics 

•  AR/VR headsets 
•  drones intended for personal purposes 
•  videogame controllers, excluding 
attachments to handheld consoles 

Wearables 
• 
• 
• 

smartwatches 
fitness trackers 
smart glasses 

•  wristbands 

The impacts to apply the CCRs to those categories are limited, compared to the overall GHG emissions, 
material use, e-waste generation, consumer spendings and costs for manufacturers of the market (23) without 
new regulatory intervention.  

These categories represent a smaller market size (63.1 m units) than some of the categories already covered 
by  the  CCRs  (183.5 m  units)  (24).  However,  since  sales  have  been  increasing,  consumers  savings  and 
convenience  resulting  from  application  of  the  CCRs  to  these  categories  could  be  further  amplified. 
Moreover, the report did not discover technological barriers or safety issues related to extending the CCRs 
to the above categories.  

Extending the scope of the CCRs to these categories could remove market fragmentation, while entailing 
limited  adaptation  costs  for  manufacturers.  It  would  also  complement  the  implementation  of  the  EPS 
Regulation which will extend the use of the common charger  by ensuring a more extensive adoption of 
USB Type-C receptacles.  

For general context, it is worth noting that EU  consumers generally support a possible extension of the 
scope of the CCRs. According to the support study, 84% of Europeans expressed a positive view of the 
Common Charger Directive and most respondents (between 55% and 65%) were in favour of extending its 
scope for reasons of safety and cost. 

(23)   Ibidem. 
(24)   Market size in 2022 according to the study for smartphones, tablets, earwear, digital cameras, and standalone 

chargers. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
6  Annex 
Figure 1 – Graphical representation of candidate categories for application of the CCRs  

Consumer electronics

Telephony

Mobile phones

Tablets and e-readers

Digital cameras

TV, Radio & Multimedia

Earwear: heaphones, 
headsets, earbuds

Portable speakers

Portable navigation 
systems

Laptops

Keyboards and mice

Computing

TV Peripheral Devices

Drones

Drones intended for 
personal purposes

AR/VR headsets

Gaming Equipment

Videogame controllers

Large smart household 
appliances

Handheld videogame 
consoles

Smart Appliances

Personal care devices

Electric toothbrushes

Small smart household 
appliances

Plastic & other Toys

Battery powered toys

Remote Controlled Toys

Wearables

Smart watches

Fitness trackers

Smart glasses

Wristbands

Smart clothes

Modular devices

i

t
n
e
m
p
u
q
E
o
d
a
R

i

Categories already covered by the CCRs 
Categories not fulfilling criteria 1 and 2 
Categories fulfilling criteria 1 and 2, but not suited to application of the CCRs 
Categories fulfilling the criteria laid out in this report 

10