April 21, 2022
The European Union’s attempt to introduce a common charging port for devices took a big leap after an EU panel backed the proposal. This means an assembly vote will be held next month on the issue.
“With half a billion chargers for portable devices shipped in Europe each year, generating 11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of e-waste, a single charger for mobile phones and other small and medium electronic devices would benefit everyone,” said Alex Agius Saliba, a member of parliament who led the debate.
The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection of the European Parliament approved the Commission’s proposal on Wednesday. In addition, the Committee wants the USB Type-C connector to become the standard for mobile phones, tablets, headphones, e-readers, low-powered laptops, keyboards, computer mice, earphones, smartwatches and electronic toys.
This change is likely to affect iPhones that currently have a proprietary flash charging port. If implemented, it will be illegal to sell an electronic device without a USB-C charging port.
Apple will be forced to switch to USB-C for its products sold throughout the bloc. Apple criticized the proposal stating that such a law would harm innovation and cause a large amount of waste if consumers were forced to switch to new chargers.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.
