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The left connector wins: connectors with USB-C, Lightning and Micro-USB standard
Photo: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam / dpa
There will soon be a standardized smartphone charging plug in the EU.
In Strasbourg, the EU Parliament voted to introduce the USB-C format plug as the standard.
From autumn 2024 onwards, all mobile phones, tablets and digital cameras should be able to be charged using chargers with a USB-C connection.
This should also apply to loudspeakers and headphones – but the standard for laptops will come later, probably in early 2026.
Mice and printers should also be subject to the new rules.
In the future, the packaging of electronic devices will also have a symbol indicating whether or not it comes with a charger.
The member states still have to formally agree to the agreement, which according to a spokeswoman for the Council should happen in October.
In June, negotiators from the European Parliament and the member states had already agreed on the introduction of the uniform smartphone charging plug.
This also forces Apple to replace its Lightning connector with a compatible system.
According to the EU Commission, mobile phone charging cables were responsible for around 11,000 tons of electronic waste in 2018.
The standardization of charging plugs "will contribute to reducing more than a thousand tons of waste in the EU per year," said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager in Strasbourg before the vote.
Incompatible plugs are a common reason for devices to be swapped out - even though you could theoretically charge a new phone with an older charger without any problems.
mamk/AFP
