Requiring Apple to migrate within two years of the new rules as a standard for all future new products, including the iPhone line that has yet to be converted from the Lightning port

Requiring Apple to migrate within two years of the new rules as a standard for all future new products, including the iPhone line that has yet to be converted from the Lightning port

The European Commission has already begun the legislative process, proposing that USB-C be made the standard charging port for all mobile devices, which would require Apple to migrate within two years of the new rules to become the standard for all future new products, including the iPhone line that has not yet been converted from the Lightning port.

The proposed new EU radio equipment directive also says chargers should be "unbundled" from the sale of devices and manufacturers would no longer be able to limit charging speeds "unreasonably".

"European consumers have been frustrated for a long time with incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers," European Commission Competition Commissioner Marmargrethe Vestager said in a statement. We've given the industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, and the time is now ripe for legislative action on universal chargers. This would be an important win for our consumers and the environment, and in line with our green and digital ambitions."

In the same statement, Thierry Breton, the commissioner responsible for the internal market, said the proposal was to "put an end" to unnecessary and non-fungible chargers. Through our proposals, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronics, which is an important step towards increasing convenience and reducing waste."