The mandate requires a USB-C charging port on all portable electronics.

In September of 2021, the European Union’s European Commission announced its intent to mandate the use of uniform charging cables on portable electronics in its member countries. This decision was made with the intent of making devices more accessible to users, as well as cut down on e-waste and manufacturing. Last month, the EU Council and EU Parliament struck a deal on a mandate, and this week, the Parliament officially approved it. It is now on its way back to the Council where, if approved, it’ll be adopted into law.

Should the mandate be approved, it would require all portable electronics sold in the EU, including smartphones, tablets, portable game consoles, headphones, and more utilize a uniform charging standard, USB-C to be precise. These changes would need to go into effect by the end of 2024.

“The European Commission will have to harmonize interoperability requirements by the end of 2024, to avoid having a negative impact on consumers and the environment,” the Parliament’s announcement said. “This will also get rid of the so-called technological ‘lock-in” effect, whereby a consumer becomes dependent on a single manufacturer.”

On that subject, one manufacturer that stands to experience turbulence from this mandate is Apple, whose devices prioritize the use of their proprietary Lightning chargers. The most recent versions of the iPhone and iPad do have USB-C connection options, but if the mandate is enacted, they will need to be a standard on all Apple devices going forward rather than just an option.