EU – In the EU, smartphones, tablets, earphones and digital cameras are to be exclusively equipped with the oval USB-C connection from 2024 onwards. This aims to save costs and avoid electronic waste. The Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament was in favour of this measure. Apple was ultimately the only company against the all-purpose charging cable. The manufacturers are furthermore also obliged to offer their appliances without a charging cable.
The European Parliament is thus to a large extent backing the draft of a law that the European Commission presented in September 2021. A joint position now only has to be agreed with the Council of Ministers, the Committee of the member states. There will probably be some discussion on the precise scope of the respective appliances. For example, the Parliament wants to include further electronic small devices such as toothbrushes or smartwatches. The MoPs are also demanding that the Commission proposes a uniform standard for wireless charging by 2026.
