Chargers, power banks and USB accessories

• Directive 2014/35/EU — Low Voltage
• Directive 2014/30/EU — EMC
• Directive 2022/2380 — common charger amendment to RED
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 — Batteries
• Directive 2012/19/EU — WEEE
• Regulation (EU) 2023/1670 — ecodesign for smartphones

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers and sellers outside the Union placing chargers, power banks, cables and power supplies on the EU market. This is one of the highest-volume categories in cross-border e-commerce and among the most frequently stopped at customs, because non-compliant power supplies are a recognised fire risk.

Thresholds and exemptions

The Low Voltage Directive applies to mains-powered chargers. Devices operating only below 50 V AC still fall under EMC, RoHS and GPSR. The common charger rules apply to specified categories of radio equipment, requiring USB-C and, for devices supporting fast charging, USB Power Delivery.

What must appear on the label

CE marking. Manufacturer's name and address, and the EU representative's or importer's address. Model and batch identification. Rated input and output voltage, current and power. The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. For products in scope of the common charger rules, the pictogram indicating whether a charging device is included and the label giving the power requirements.

Marketplace fields

Marketplaces block power supplies without a visible CE marking in the images and require the EU responsible person, a WEEE number per country and a battery producer number for power banks. Amazon has additionally run targeted sweeps on counterfeit and overrated power banks, removing listings whose declared capacity cannot be substantiated.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity covering LVD, EMC and RoHS, and RED where wireless charging is involved. Technical file with circuit diagrams, component specifications, the risk analysis and the test reports. Battery cell datasheets and UN 38.3 transport test summaries for power banks. National WEEE, battery and packaging registrations with annual declarations.

Standards and testing

EN IEC 62368-1 for safety, including creepage and clearance distances and the temperature rise tests that cheap chargers fail. EN 55032 and EN 55035 for electromagnetic emissions and immunity. IEC 62133-2 for lithium cells. RoHS analysis on homogeneous materials. Capacity verification for power banks, since declared mAh values are checked by authorities and marketplaces.

Language requirements

Instructions and safety warnings in the language of each member state of sale, including the warnings about heat, water and use with children.

When it applies

Documentation before placing on the market. WEEE, battery and packaging registration before the first shipment into each country. Common charger obligations apply to devices placed on the market from 28 December 2024, and from 28 April 2026 for laptops.

How long records are kept

Technical documentation and the declaration of conformity for ten years. EPR declarations per national law.

What happens if you do not comply

Customs seizure is common for this category, because inspectors can check the CE marking, the EU address and the plug construction on sight. Beyond that: withdrawal orders, Safety Gate alerts, marketplace removal, and fines per country for missing WEEE, battery or packaging registration. A charger implicated in a fire also exposes the seller to product liability claims.

Who enforces it

National market surveillance authorities, customs, WEEE and battery registers, and in some states energy agencies for the efficiency requirements.

Where the boundary lies

A charger with wireless charging or Bluetooth moves into the Radio Equipment Directive and its cybersecurity requirements. A power bank is simultaneously an electrical product, a battery for EPR purposes and dangerous goods for transport. And the common charger rules are about the device being charged, not only the charger: a phone or tablet placed on the EU market must accept USB-C.

Questions we are asked

Our supplier says the charger is CE certified — is that enough?

There is no such thing as CE certification for these products: the manufacturer self-declares on the basis of a technical file and test reports. If you sell under your own brand you are the manufacturer and need your own declaration.

Do power banks need a battery registration?

Yes, in every member state you ship to, in addition to WEEE registration for the device and packaging registration for the box.

Is the declared capacity checked?

Yes. Authorities and marketplaces both test declared mAh values, and an unsubstantiated figure is treated as a misleading commercial practice as well as a documentation failure.