Washington CNN Business  — 

A landmark instrumentality requiring Apple and different electronics makers to follow USB-C arsenic a cosmopolitan charging modular successful the European Union has cleared its last procedural hurdle, aft EU subordinate states voted to o.k. the authorities connected Monday.

The caller law, which is targeted astatine smartphones, tablets, integer cameras, portable speakers and a wide array of different tiny devices, is the archetypal of its benignant anyplace successful the world. It aims to streamline the fig of chargers and cables consumers indispensable contend with erstwhile they acquisition a caller device, and to let users to premix and lucifer devices and chargers, adjacent if they were produced by antithetic manufacturers.

Apple could beryllium among the astir affected by the legislation. The iPhone shaper has historically required users to complaint its mobile devices utilizing a proprietary charging connector known arsenic Lightning; nether the caller rules, Apple would beryllium forced to migrate distant from Lightning successful its devices sold successful the EU. That change, which Apple is reportedly testing for iPhones, could perchance widen to devices Apple sells successful different markets arsenic well.

The EU instrumentality indispensable inactive beryllium signed by the presidents of the EU parliament and European Council, according to a release, but those are considered formalities. Earlier this month, the authorities received last support from EU lawmakers.

In summation to covering new, tiny electronics going connected the marketplace astatine the extremity of 2024, the rules volition besides widen to larger electronics specified arsenic laptops opening successful 2026. It volition besides perpetrate European officials to streamlining standards for wireless charging, a exertion that is lone conscionable becoming much widespread.