https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bvzqv8/european-union-will-force-apple-to-use-the-same-charger-as-everything-else

The European Union announced on Thursday that it will force manufacturers to adopt a universal phone charger, meaning the iPhone will have to use USB-C or whatever standardized charger regulators decide to use and will no longer be able to use Apple’s proprietary Lightning Charger. According to the AFP, the European Commission released an 18 page directive that outlined the new legislation it said was aimed at reducing waste and saving EU consumers millions of dollars a year.

The European Union has been threatening to make this change, which Apple has strongly fought against, for years. The move is designed to make things easier for consumers and to prevent people from owning all sorts of different chargers, which creates more trash. The directive also applies to “other small electronic portable devices.”