European Parliament Backs Universal Charging Port
October 04 2022 - 8:58AM
Dow Jones News
By Mauro Orru
The European Parliament on Tuesday approved legislation to
introduce a bloc-wide common charging standard for smartphones and
other electronic devices, a move that will effectively ban Apple
Inc.'s Lightning charger port that the iPhone maker currently
employs in its smartphones.
The new law, which received 602 votes in favor, 13 against and
eight abstentions, requires all mobile phones, tablets and cameras
sold in the EU to use the USB Type-C chargers by the end of 2024.
The requirement will extend to laptops from spring 2026.
"This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative
charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone -
from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment," European
Parliament rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba said.
The push for a universal charger in the EU's 27 member states
isn't new. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, has
supported common charging for mobile phones and other electronic
devices for more than a decade and has worked with the industry to
bring down the number of charger types to single digits.
Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but
it previously said it opposed the proposed law, saying it would
stifle innovation.
Apple already uses USB-C chargers on some Mac computers, but its
iPhones still rely on Lightning charging ports. The company will
need to redesign its iPhones to comply with the new law.
Different leads and chargers have long plagued the industry and
made life difficult for consumers, who had to chuck out perfectly
good chargers when upgrading to newer smartphones or switching
brands, generating more electronic waste.
The EU estimates the new law will help consumers save up to 250
million euros ($245.6 million) a year on unnecessary charger
purchases and reduce waste from disposed of or unused chargers that
account for roughly 11,000 tons of electronic waste every year in
the bloc.
Write to Mauro Orru at mauro.orru@wsj.com; @MauroOrru94
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 04, 2022 08:43 ET (12:43 GMT)
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