Apple’s new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 ships without a power adapter in the UK and EU, and confusion followed quickly. Some observers insisted that European rules forced the move, but that claim misses what the law actually says. Apple chose to sell the charger separately, and you should understand why that choice matters.
Early reactions pointed fingers at Brussels, but the text of the rules tells a different story. The EU created a Common Charger Directive journal to cut e-waste and standardize ports, and it settled on USB-C as the minimum path. The law requires that makers offer a version without a charger, yet it does not ban including one at no extra cost.
Public debate flickered across social platforms as reporters corrected the record in real time. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman stated that the EU requires offering a no-charger option, but he added that Apple alone decided to charge extra for the brick. A major outlet framed the situation as the EU “not allowing” bundling, and Gurman directly dismissed it.
These arguments hinge on two separate goals that the law tries to balance. First, consumers should be able to use one cable and many devices, which USB-C largely solves. Second, buyers who already own chargers should avoid paying for yet another brick, which a no-charger configuration enables.
What the rule allows, and what Apple decided
Legal language does not forbid multiple charging methods on the device itself, which explains why MacBook Pro supports both MagSafe and USB-C. Legal language also does not forbid bundling a charger for free, as long as buyers can pick the version without it. The core requirement is choice at the point of sale, not a penalty for including an adapter.
Supply chain logic might tempt any company to ship a single European box without a charger, because separate SKUs increase cost and complexity. Commercial logic might then nudge a company to price the charger as an add-on, because accessories drive margin. Environmental logic suggests fewer bricks will eventually sit in drawers, which supports the e-waste goal.
For you as a buyer
You can power a modern MacBook Pro with many USB-C chargers that meet the wattage, which reduces friction if you already own a capable brick. But you still pay if you want Apple’s labeled adapter, which is the business choice at the heart of this story. You also keep the right to avoid buying hardware you will not use, which is the consumer choice at the heart of the law.
Apple picked its lane inside them. Debate will continue over whether the EU wrote a wise rule or a clumsy one, but that debate should not muddy the facts. Europe offered a choice, and Apple decided to bill you for the brick.
