EU Parliament Agrees On USB-C Connector For All Charging, Apple Inflames

MP Alex Agius Saliba, wants all chargers to be USBC connectors. (photo: twitter @alexagiussaliba)

JAKARTA – European Union lawmakers and member states have reached an agreement on a common charging port for phones, tablets and headphones at the end of last year. This was confirmed by a key lawmaker on Tuesday, February 15 in reference to a proposal that has been heavily criticized by iPhone maker Apple.

The European Commission first discussed a single mobile charging port more than a decade ago, but last year proposed the world's first draft law, after several companies failed to agree on a common solution.

iPhone and Android users have long complained about having to use different chargers for their phones. The former is charged from a Lightning cable while Android-based devices are powered using a USB-C connector.

Half the chargers sold with phones 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.

MP Alex Agius Saliba, who chairs the issue in the European Parliament, said he hoped the legislative assembly would be able to vote on his proposal in May, allowing him to then start talks with EU countries on the final draft.

"A deal at the end of the year is doable. This is our ambition," Agius Saliba told Reuters in an interview.

But his proposal has a broader scope that is likely to impact Samsung and Huawei as well as other device makers and is shorter in time than the Commission's draft.

“It will be a completely lost opportunity if we only focus on smartphones,” said Agius Saliba.

He also wants e-readers, low-power laptops, keyboards, computer mice, earbuds, smartwatches, and electronic toys to have a single phone charging port, while the Commission's listing goes only to phones, tablets and headphones.

Agius Saliba also wants the Commission to harmonize wireless charging systems by 2025 and that the law should come into effect six months after its adoption, during which companies must adjust their devices instead of the two years originally planned.

Apple has warned that the EU push for generic chargers will undermine innovation and create a heap of electronic waste if consumers are forced to switch to new charging models.