European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement on legislation that will force all future smartphones sold in the EU — including Apple’s iPhone — to be equipped with the universal USB-C port for wired charging by fall 2024. The rule will also apply to other electronic devices including tablets, digital cameras, headphones, handheld video game consoles, and e-readers. Laptops will have to comply with the rule at a later date.
The legislation has been under development for more than a decade, but an agreement on its scope was reached this morning following negotiations between different EU bodies.
“Today we have made the common charger a reality in Europe!” said the European Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba in a press statement. “European consumers were frustrated long with multiple chargers piling up with every new device. Now they will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics.” The legislation also includes provisions designed to address wireless chargers in the future, as well as harmonizing fast-charging standards.
The legislation still needs to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council later this year, but this appears to be a formality. In a press release, the European Parliament stated clearly that the law will be in place “by autumn 2024.” By this date, all devices covered by the law and sold in the EU will have to use USB-C for wired charging.
The introduction of a “common charger” is an attempt by the EU to both cut down on e-waste and make life easier for consumers. Lawmakers hope that, in the future, phones and similar gadgets won’t need to come with a charger in the box, as buyers will already have the appropriate accessories at home. The EU estimates that the legislation could save consumers 250 million euros per year on “unnecessary charger purchases” and cut down on around 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually.
The agreement will have the biggest impact on Apple, which is the only major smartphone manufacturer to still use a proprietary port instead of USB-C. In 2021, Apple sold 241 million iPhones globally, of which about 56 million were sold in Europe. When asked during a press conference if the EU was specifically targeting Apple, Thierry Breton, commissioner for the EU’s internal market, said this was not the case. “The rule applies to all and sundry. It’s not adopted against anybody,” said Breton. “We’re working for the consumers, not the companies, and we have to give these companies rules; rules that are clear in order to enter the internal market.”
