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Strasbourg (France) (AFP) – The European Parliament approved this Tuesday, October 4, a law that imposes a single charger, with a USB-C port, for smartphones, tablets and portable devices from the end of 2024, a measure that will force Apple to modify its models.
The regulations were approved by an overwhelming majority of 602 votes in favor and 13 against, with eight abstentions. The measure will force Apple to abandon the specific charging port for its iPhone models, called Lightning.
According to the approved legislation, as of the implementation of the regulations, portable devices may be sold with or without the charger, to give consumers the possibility of using cables that they already have in their homes without paying for a new one.
During discussions, MEPs argued that adopting a single charger model will reduce the mountain of obsolete chargers discarded each year and reduce costs for consumers.
The change is expected to save at least 200 million euros ($195 million) a year and reduce more than 1,000 tonnes of e-waste annually in the EU, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.
Apple had resisted moves to standardize charging ports for cellphones and wearable devices, saying such legislation would hamper technological innovation.
However, users of the latest iPhone models complain that the Lightning port is capable of transferring data at a fraction of the speed of USB-C.
a long negotiation
The regulations adopted this Tuesday by the European Parliament must be fully applied within two years for mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, portable speakers, portable video game consoles and electronic readers, among others.
The regulations determine that, once the law is published in the Official Journal of the EU, the countries of the bloc will have a period of 12 months to adapt their internal legislation, and another 12 months to make its application mandatory.
Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba, who coordinated the delicate negotiations for more than a year, welcomed the adoption of the standard, saying “it’s a great day for consumers and a great day for the environment”.
Good news. The European Parliament concludes the legislative process that will make it possible to have a universal charger for different electronic devices from autumn 2024. Goodbye to the jungle of cables. https://t.co/xn4MIaGvIu
— Emilio Ordiz (@EmilioOrdiz) October 4, 2022
This Tuesday, in the last session of debates, Saliba had on his work table a box with a huge tangle of useless cables, like those that can be found in most homes in Europe.
“This is the past,” said the legislator, showing the tangle of unused cables.
The project for a universal charger has been the subject of exhausting negotiations and several frustrated attempts in recent years, in the face of fierce opposition from Apple.
Finally, in June it was possible to string together a majority agreement that allowed its approval this Tuesday.
The EU move is expected to have repercussions around the world.
The 27 countries of the European Union are home to 450 million people who are among the richest consumers in the world. Therefore, regulatory changes for the bloc often drive the adoption of global standards.
