European Union (EU) authorities added to Apple’s woes by threatening to outlaw its lightning cables, piling pressure on the vendor at a time of increased scrutiny of iPhone encryption by US authorities.

Members of the European Parliament called for the European Commission to enforce use of a single universal charger for all mobile devices.

This is to reduce electronic waste and increase convenience for consumers. The EU estimated old mobile phone chargers generate around 51,000 metric tonnes of electronic waste per year.

A vote will be held on the proposal, with a date yet to be determined. Apple said the regulation would stifle innovation and be disruptive to customers, BBC News reported.

Currently there are three charging cables adopted by mobile phone manufacturers: microUSB, USB-C and Apple’s Lightning cables.

Apple ditched the Lightning connector for USB-C on the iPad Pro released in late 2018, making it likely the manufacturer would adopt the port or push wireless charging if forced to ditch its cable from other products, BBC News stated.