The European Union will not require you to spend more time looking for a charger.
According to an agreement reached Tuesday between the European Commission and the executive branch of the EU, all handheld electronic devices and cellphones in the European Union must now have a USB-C charging port.
The port will be required for all tablets, digital cameras and video game consoles, as well as headphones, portable speakers, ereaders, portable navigation system, keyboards, mice, and earbuds, by 2024.
The universal charging port can be implemented by laptop manufacturers until 2026.
Margrethe Vestager (executive vice president, A Europe Fit for Digital Age), stated in a statement that there were no more charger bundles in the drawers.
“One charger is a real advantage to us consumers.”
The EU hopes that a universal charger will cut carbon dioxide emissions and eliminate waste. It will also reduce the cost of purchasing multiple chargers for different devices.
“The deal we made this morning will result in around 250 million Euros of savings for consumers each year,” Thierry Breton (an EU commissioner for the bloc’s Internal Market) stated in a statement.
According to the commission, chargers that were either unused and disposed generate approximately 11,000 tons of electronic waste each year.
Apple, which uses a unique connector called “Lightning”, for iPhones, iPads, and other mobile devices, could be affected by the universal charging requirement.
Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request of comment. However, the company has been vocal against the move in the past.
A spokesperson for the company stated in September that they remain concerned about strict regulations mandating only one type of connector. This will hinder innovation and not encourage it.
