The European Union passed legislation that makes it illegal to produce a smartphone without optional USB-C charging from the year 2024 on forward.
It’s been almost a decade since lawmakers began urging the European Commission to consider a proposal to mandate a common charging standard for all electronic items sold in the European Union (EU). The movement has its origins in 2014 when Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) called for the European Commission to mandate manufacturers to develop a cross-platform, interchangeable charging and connectivity standard. Much to the chagrin of users, however, the proposal remained in cold storage for nearly six years — until January 2020, when the European Parliament finally passed a resolution calling for a standard charger for mobile phones sold within EU borders. Unfortunately, this resolution remained a paper tiger as it did not have the power to coerce manufacturers into adopting a common charging standard. That is seemingly changing today when the European Parliament and Council negotiators amended the Radio Equipment Directive to mandate a single charging solution for „frequently-used small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.“
Under the terms of this directive, all manufacturers dealing with these medium-sized electronic products in the EU will be required to adopt USB-C as the common charging port by autumn 2024.
