The European Union approved a new law Tuesday that will implement a standard charger for smartphones and tablets by 2024, a move that forces Apple to alter its product design for Europe.
The union voted 602-13 in favor of the law, which will require all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras to be compatible with USB-C ports by the end of 2024 and laptops by spring 2026. The law is meant to help Europeans charge their smart devices more easily.
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“The common charger will finally become a reality in Europe,” European Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba said in a statement. “This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone — from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment. These are difficult times for politics, but we have shown that the EU has not run out of ideas or solutions to improve the lives of millions in Europe and inspire other parts of the world to follow suit.”
The mechanical change could save the EU 11,000 tons of electronic waste per year, and consumers may save about 250 million euros, according to the EU’s news release. The law does not affect devices that are already in circulation or in stores.
The new law will primarily affect Apple devices by forcing Apple to create access to the port commonly used by most Android devices, rendering millions of cables useless. The law will only affect European countries and not the United States.
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The Council of the European Union will need to approve the measure before it is enacted. Countries will have 20 days for the new order to go into effect after approval, then have 12 months to transpose the rules and 12 months after the transposition period ends to apply them.
