Northern Ireland must adhere to new European law banning most types of phone charger... while the same does not apply to Great Britain

The same rule will not apply in Great Britain.

The move has been long-awaited, but was officially approved by a vote in the European Parliament today – 602 votes in favour, and 13 against.

Here is how the move was described by the European Parliament: “By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port (the wide, flat type – pictured).

“From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops.

“Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.”

This law applies to the following list of devices, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts:

Mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones / headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds, and laptops.

In addition, “all devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger”.

During a press conference after the vote, Maltese MEP Alex Agius Saliba (who has been made special rapparteur on the issue) was asked if it is his understanding that this will apply to Northern Ireland.

“This common charger will be applicable for all the internal market, the EU internal market. So all members of the internal market will definitely have to abide with [it].”

For the avoidance of any doubt, a spokeswoman for the parliament added that “the rules apply to the EU single Market, which NI is a part of – hence will have to apply the rules – but not GB”.