Did it help Apple's customers? I would generally bet that a company that is engaged in a highly competitive market would have a better gasp of what their customers would like than a regulatory body composed of people who may or may not have any relevant experience. You don't design a custom cable standard without a clear need. A thinner, more durable cable manufactured to a certain spec has a number of benefits for industrial design and durability that should not be overlooked.

But also establishing new standards is also the standard playbook for European industry. There are plenty of examples that are a mere google search away. Two that I find especially annoying are the decision to switch to 50hz AC power instead of using the original 60hz and the decision to create a broadcast TV encoding.