Arguably that's not a new requirement, but simply the EU enforcing the existing single market rules.
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/intra-eu-c...
> Before Intra-EU communications were capped, the average standard price of a fixed or mobile intra-EU call tended to be three times higher than the standard price of a domestic call. While the standard price of an intra-EU SMS was more than twice as expensive as a domestic one. In some cases the standard price of an intra-EU call was up to ten times higher than the standard price for domestic calls.
As a consumer, lightning is a more pleasant to use connector than micro and therefore, I’m glad Apple didn’t cave at that time.
Of course if there were a law like that, they will rather point their fingers at the EU, over their users blaming apple for the slight inconvenience of changing.
Which is why new iPhones still have Lighting connectors. Oh wait.
Just give it time to work its way out. We don't live in a cyberpunk dystopia yet.