EU plan for common worldwide phone charger port takes step closer
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union’s bid to undertake a standard charging port for cellphones, tablets and headphones took a step ahead on Wednesday when an EU panel backed the proposal, paving the best way for an meeting vote subsequent month.
The European Fee urged a single cell charging port greater than a decade in the past, hoping cellphone makers would be capable to discover a widespread answer. It proposed draft laws final yr, a world first, after they failed to take action.
The European Parliament’s Inside Market and Shopper Safety Committee on Wednesday agreed with the Fee’s proposal.
Apple’s iPhones are charged from a Lightning cable whereas Android-based units are powered utilizing USB-C connectors. Nearly all of telephones offered within the EU are Android units.
“With half a billion chargers for transportable units shipped in Europe annually, producing 11,000 to 13,000 tonnes of e-waste, a single charger for cellphones and different small and medium digital units would profit everybody,” mentioned Alex Agius Saliba, who’s main the controversy in parliament.
The committee needs the USB Sort-C port to be the usual for cellphones, tablets, headphones, e-readers, low-powered laptops, keyboards, laptop mice, earbuds, sensible watches and digital toys.
Apple has mentioned the proposal would damage innovation and create a mountain of waste if shoppers had been pressured to change to new chargers.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Modifying by Nick Macfie)
