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Common connector types USB-C, Lightning and Micro-USB: The EU plan is putting pressure on Apple
Photo: Mohssen Assanimoghaddam / dpa
Smartphones and numerous other electronic devices will probably have to have a standardized charging socket in the EU from mid-2024.
Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament agreed on USB-C as the standard charging socket, as the head of the negotiations, Anna Cavazzini (Greens), said in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
According to you, the regulation applies to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones and portable speakers.
The French Council Presidency also confirmed an agreement.
In addition, Parliament was able to get through the negotiations that, for example, laptops, e-readers, keyboards and computer mice, navigation devices, smart watches and electronic toys are also included, as long as the devices are large enough for a corresponding connection.
There should be a longer transition period for laptops.
The progress of the project is putting pressure on Apple in particular: The group is continuing to install the Lightning connector it developed in its iPhones and the cheapest iPads.
Mac computers and the rest of the iPads, on the other hand, already have USB-C ports.
The company regards an obligation to provide uniform charging sockets as an obstacle to innovation.
In view of Apple's opposition, the EU plan is often dubbed the "anti-Apple law."
Both the EU countries and the European Parliament still have to formally approve the agreement.
But that is considered a formality.
Save 1000 tons of electronic waste
Legal requirements for charging sockets have been the subject of debate for a long time.
The EU Commission addressed this topic for the first time more than ten years ago.
14 manufacturers, including Apple, agreed to a uniform standard for mobile phone power supplies in a voluntary commitment.
When it comes to the sockets in smartphones and tablets, there were only three of what used to be several dozen types: USB-C, Apple’s Lightning connector and micro-USB.
According to the EU Commission, the new regulation could save almost 1000 tons of electronic waste.
It is said that an estimated 11,000 tons of electronic waste is currently generated every year from discarded and unused chargers.
However, critics fear that the EU approach could come to nothing, since old chargers can no longer be used and USB-C has become the standard for electronic devices more and more in the past.
The Association of Municipal Enterprises (VKU) welcomed the outcome of the negotiations: "The best waste is still that which is not created in the first place." The project spares resources and consumers' nerves, said a spokesman.
The companies organized in the VKU are responsible for waste disposal, among other things.
mbo/dpa