The European Commission is seeking to standardize chargers for mobile phones and other small electrical devices using a specific type known as ‘USB-C’, in the name of defending the rights of consumers and the environment.The Commission also wants to separate the sale of chargers from the sale of electronic devices, claiming that this will increase customer convenience and lessen the environmental impact of charger production and disposal. USB-C, commonly known as type c is a 24-pin USB connector system featuring a rotationally symmetrical connector.
‘European consumers were frustrated long enough about incompatible chargers piling up in their drawers. We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger.’ European Commission executive vice president Margrethe Vestager said.
The commission European posted on Twitter ‘Are your chargers piling up in a drawer? We propose a common charger for mobile phones and other similar electronic devices. A single charger will be more convenient for people and will reduce electronic waste’.
The Commission had launched this project in 2009, but it was not approved by the companies operating in the sector despite the significant decline in the number of types of chargers available over the years.
There were about 30 chargers in 2009, there are now three types of chargers which are the “Micro USB” charging cable, which has long been used as a charger for phones, and the “USB C” chargers, which are more recent, As well as the “Lightning” chargers used in “Apple” devices.
The EU will still need a majority approval for the proposal within the European Parliament. Once approval is gained, manufacturers will be given 24 months to comply with the new rule, lest they be slapped with fines in the future.
The Commission stresses that European consumers who currently spend about 2.4 billion euros annually to purchase chargers, can save thanks to this step 250 million euros annually, and that the waste associated with unused chargers, estimated at 11,000 tons annually, may reduce by about 1,000 tons.
The Commission also stresses that it maintains technical innovation, especially in the field of wireless charging technology which is excluded from the draft memorandum as it is still under development on the market.
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