European Council: all electronic devices need USB-C charging by 2024

The European Council has pushed ahead with its "common charger directive" that now only requires formal signatures by the presidents of the EU and EC, mandating that all small chargeable electronics will use USB-C charging ports in the future.

USB-C charging on future electronic devices has been officially approved by the European Council, with the President of the European Parliament and the President of the European Council needing to provide their signatures, with the European Parliament passing the common charger directive with a vote of 602-13.

What does this mean? It means that electronic manufacturers will have to design their devices with USB-C charging by the fall of 2024, and this includes Apple and its future-gen iPhones that will be sold across Europe. Bigger devices like laptops, will see makers having a little while longer to comply with the EC's new directive: they've got until 2026 to have all laptops with a USB-C charging port.

• Read more: Apple: yeah, the iPhone will switch from Lightning to USB-C in future

Czech Minister for Industry and Trade said: "We all have at least three mobile phone chargers at home. Looking for the right charger, either at home or at work, can be quite annoying. On top of this, these chargers amount to 11,000 tons of e-waste every year. Having a charger that fits multiple devices will save money and time and also helps us reduce electronic waste".

The new regulations will also see manufacturers giving consumers the option of purchasing their electronic goods with, or without chargers. Apple, Samsung, and some other manufacturers are already shipping their smartphones without chargers, so this will only strengthen that effort.