Margrethe Vestager, Vice-President of the European Commission, said the legislation aims to reduce e-waste and eliminate “cable clutter”. Under the legislation, according to a release, “cell phones, tablets, e-readers, earphones, digital cameras, headphones, headphones, portable video game consoles, and portable speakers rechargeable via wired cable must be equipped with a USB-C port of whatever manufacture.”
The upcoming rules will apply to new small and medium-sized electronics sold in the European Union.
Chargers that support fast charging will also be required to support the same charging speeds. This procedure does not affect wireless charging technologies, and consumers will have to purchase a device without a bundled charger if they choose to.
A 2021 study cited in the same report found that iPhones with a Lightning connector accounted for 18% of new cell phone sales in 2019, with 44% using USB-C and 38% using the older USB Micro-B connector.
Efforts to enforce a single shipping standard in Europe date back more than a decade. Officials at one point secured industry support for the USB Micro-B standard, but the voluntary agreement between major manufacturers for this purpose expired in 2014 and has not been replaced. By contrast, the upcoming law requiring USB-C is among the first of its kind.
Tuesday’s announcement came after tripartite negotiations by the European Commission, Parliament and the Council. The charging procedure must receive final approval before it can take effect, but the process is largely a formality.
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