HIGHLIGHTS
- Android handsets account for the vast majority of phones sold in the EU.
- USB-C connections are used to power Android phones.
- Previously, the European Commission proposed a single mobile charging connector.
The European Union's effort to establish a universal charging port for mobile phones, tablets, and headphones advanced on Wednesday when an EU panel endorsed the plan, clearing the way for a vote in the assembly next month.
More than a decade ago, the European Commission proposed a single mobile charging connector in the hope that phone manufacturers would be able to establish a standard solution. After they failed to do so, it offered draft legislation last year, a global first.
On Wednesday, the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee agreed with the Commission's proposal.
Apple's iPhones are charged using a Lightning wire, whereas Android smartphones are powered by USB-C ports. Android handsets account for the vast majority of phones sold in the EU.
"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, the parliamentarian who is leading the debate.
The USB Type-C connector is intended to be the standard for mobile phones, tablets, headphones, e-readers, low-powered laptops, keyboards, computer mouse, earbuds, smart watches, and electronic toys, according to the committee.
