Following negotiations between the European Council, Commission, and Parliament on June 7, new rules were agreed on to harmonise charging ports for all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices in the European Union (EU) by fall 2024.

‘This law is a part of a broader EU effort to make products in the EU more sustainable, to reduce electronic waste, and make consumers’ lives easier,’ stated a European Parliament press release. The directive will be enforced on ‘mobile phones, tablets, e-readers, earbuds, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers that are rechargeable via a wired cable’ said the same press release.

Though the move does not target specific manufacturers, it is expected that the law will prove a headache for Apple, which spoke out against the proposal and currently sits as the largest electronics company whose devices do not all use USB-C type ports.

Expectations are that the initiative will help ‘consumers save up to 250 million euro a year on unnecessary charger purchases,’ according to the EU. Disposed chargers are also estimated to currently ‘represent 11,000 tonnes of e-waste annually’.

The law also includes provisions on wireless charging, empowering the European Commission to monitor and regulate the interoperability of the soon-to-be prevalent wireless charging solution. According to the initiative, consumers will also be allowed to choose whether they wish to purchase electronic devices bundled with or without a charging cable. Additionally, clearer information will be provided to consumers on the charging characteristics of new devices.

The agreement follows almost a decade of Parliament requesting the Commission to put forward legislation on a common European charger. According to EU treaties, only the European Commission is allowed to propose legislation upon the request of other EU bodies.

The initiative now waits a formal vote of approval by the European Parliament and Council which is expected to take place in July.