The European Commission has presented this Thursday a proposal for legislation in order to establish the USB-C connector as a universal charger for mobile phones and other electronic devices such as tablets, digital cameras, headphones or game consoles.
The goal: to reduce e-waste by encouraging consumers to reuse their existing chargers when purchasing a new device.
Brussels has been promoting this measure since 2009 and a voluntary agreement with the main manufacturers of mobile devices allowed that year to reduce the existing chargers on the market from 30 to 3, USB 2.0 Micro B, USB-C and Lightning, exclusive to Apple . That pact, however, expired in 2014 and since then the goal of having a single universal charger has not been achieved, says Efe.
"European consumers have already experienced enough frustration with incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We have given the industry ample time to find its own solutions. Now is the time for legislative action in favor of a common charger." The Vice President of the European Commission responsible for the digital portfolio, Margrethe Vestager, has pointed out. "This is a major success for our consumers and the environment, and is in line with our green and digital ambitions," he added.
The Commission has proposed the separate sale of chargers and electronic devices, as in its view, "it will increase consumer convenience and reduce the environmental footprint of producing and disposing of chargers."
Ultimately, Brussels wants consumers to be able to decide whether or not they want to purchase a new charger each time they buy a new device, to avoid accumulating 11,000 tons per year of electronic waste.
With this proposal, all smartphones sold in the EU must have USB-C chargers, which would force the manufacturers of these devices to adopt that charging system.
Something that Apple has not liked, which has warned that such a measure will damage innovation.
The iPhone maker uses a different charging port, a Lightning connector made by the company itself.
"We remain concerned that strict regulation requiring only one type of connector will stifle innovation rather than encourage it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world," Apple told the BBC.
The British chain recalls that most Android phones already come with USB micro-B or more modern USB-C charging ports.
Apple's new iPad and MacBook models use the latter, as do high-end phones from manufacturers like Samsung or Huawei.
About half of the chargers sold with mobile phones in the EU in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB-C connector and 21% had a Lightning connector, according to a 2019 Commission study.
The decision to harmonize all chargers to USB-C "is not something against Apple or against anyone else," said Thierry Breton, EU Commissioner for the Internal Market.
"Apple already uses USB-C in some devices like iPad. It is a well-known, mature technology, and I don't think it's going to cause problems for anyone," he remarked.
In any case, Apple will be able to continue offering the type of connection it offers now as long as its devices also incorporate the USB-C connection that the EU will require once the new regulations come into force.
The proposal will have to be approved by both the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, and if they give the go-ahead, there will be a transition period of two years so that both consumers and industry can adapt to the new requirements.
Brussels left out of the proposal products such as laptops, smart watches or devices that measure physical activity for technical reasons such as their size and did not regulate the requirements that wireless chargers of mobile devices must meet.
The Commission said that citizens living in the EU own at least three chargers and use two regularly, but 38% say they cannot charge their phones at least once because they could not find a compatible charger.
Last year some 420 million portable electronic devices were sold in the EU.
"With our proposal, European consumers will be able to use a single charger for all their portable electronic devices, an important step to increase convenience and reduce waste," Breton insisted.
