No more drawers full of old phone chargers, no more running out of battery and being unable to borrow a charger – from 2024 France will make compulsory a universal, single charger that can be used with any mobile phone.

Well – just. the actual law will come into effect on December 28th, 2024, according to a decree published in the Journal Officiel. 

It will make it obligatory for all phones sold in France to use the USB-C port for the charger, meaning that any charger will work with any phone.

The idea of a universal charger has been discussed at an EU level since 2009, and the Bloc has created a framework for legislation, deciding to pick the USB-C port as the preferred charging option.

The French law transposes the EU framework into national law, which compels manufacturers to comply.

Some tech companies have already begun using the USB-C port – including Apple which uses the port for the latest version of the iPhone and the Apple watch.

The law will eventually apply to computers as well – but not until April 26th, 2026.

The aim of the law is to prevent tons of electronic waste, as well as making life easier for consumers.

“This new regulation should save European consumers €250 million a year by preventing them from buying unnecessary chargers,” a spokesman for the Direction générale des entreprises told BFM TV, citing figures from the European Commission.

They added: “The aim of this new regulation is to avoid thousands of tons of electronic waste. It will also make life easier for hundreds of millions of users across the continent. According to the European Commission, 38 percent of consumers say they have been unable to recharge their phone at least once because of compatibility problems.”