An Apple executive reportedly stated that it would comply with a European Union (EU) mandate that its electronic devices be equipped with USB-C charging, which could spell the end of its proprietary Lightning connector on iPhones.

CNBC reported Greg Joswiak, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, noted at The Wall Street Journal Tech Live conference that while the company “obviously” has to comply with the EU common charger law, “we think the approach would have been better environmentally and better for our customers to not have a government be that prescriptive”.

The news site reported ministers from EU member states approved the common charger law on 24 October. The law requires electronic devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, to support USB-C charging by 2024.

Joswiak didn’t provide details on when the company would switch from its Lightning charger to USB-C, but CNBC previously reported next year’s iPhones could be the first to make the switch, and that Apple could make it standard globally.

The European Commission has been pushing for a common charging port since 2009 as part of a long-running effort to curb electronic waste.