EU Ministers Give Final Approval to Law Forcing Apple to Switch to USB-C

The European Union has announced final approval of its common charger directive forcing Apple and other manufacturers to switch to using USB-C by the end of 2024.

The Council today gave its final approval to the common charger directive. This means that in 2024, a USB-C port will become mandatory for a whole range of electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and headphones. It will no longer be necessary to buy a different charger every time you purchase a new mobile phone or similar device: all of them can be recharged using the same charger.

"We all have at least three mobile phone chargers at home," said Jozef Síkela, Minister for Industry and Trade. "Looking for the right charger, either at home or at work, can be quite annoying. On top of this, these chargers amount to 11.000 tonnes of e-waste every year. Having a charger that fits multiple devices will save money and time and also helps us reduce electronic waste."


Background
● On 23 September 2021 the European Commission tabled a proposal for a common charger.
● On 26 January 2022, less than a six months after the start of negotiations in the Council, member states unanimously agreed on the Council’s position on the common charger directive.
● On 7 June 2022, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the common charger directive, which was endorsed by EU member states’ representatives on 29 June 2022.
● On 4 October 2022, the European Parliament voted to approve the new law with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions.

Categories of Devices
The new rules will apply to a wide range of portable devices:
● mobile phones
● tablets and e-readers
● digital cameras and video game consoles
● headphones, earbuds and portable loudspeakers
● wireless mice and keyboards
● portable navigation systems

In addition, all laptops will also be covered by the new rules 40 months following the entry into force of the directive.

New Rules
After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the directive will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force 20 days after publication. The new rules will start to apply 24 months after the entry into force.


Due to the new law, Apple is expected to equip the iPhone 15 with a USB-C connector. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.