European Commission makes a universal charger compulsory across E.U., impacting Apple’s business
The European Commission has announced a new “Radio Equipment Directive’, which makes it compulsory for all smartphones and small electronic devices sold in the E.U. to have USB-C charger.
The move which aims to reduce waste by encouraging consumers to re-use existing chargers when buying a new device, hasn’t gone down well with leading United States (U.S.) based manufacturer Apple. The Apple has warned such a move would harm innovation. Apple is worried because iPhones use a custom Apple-made “Lightning” connector.
The proposed rules will apply to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, handheld video game consoles. Products such as earbuds, smart-watches and fitness trackers were not considered for technical reasons linked to size and use conditions.
Speaking on the occasion, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age – Margrethe Vestager said, “We gave industry plenty of time to come up with their own solutions, now time is ripe for legislative action for a common charger. This is an important win for our consumers and environment and in line with our green and digital ambitions.”
Taking it to twitter, Vestager tweeted,
Here is a small revolution in our daily lives! Our proposal for a common charger for mobile phones and other devices was adopted today. No more entangled cables in our hallway drawers 😊 #DigitalEU #EndChargerChaos pic.twitter.com/hmLN5vCi2P
— Margrethe Vestager (@vestager) September 23, 2021
A statement from Apple read, “We remain concerned that strict regulation mandating just one type of connector stifles innovation rather than encouraging it, which in turn will harm consumers in Europe and around the world.”
The changes would apply to the charging port on the device body, whereas the end of the cable connecting to a plug could be USB-C or USB-A.
As per a report by European Commission, around half of chargers sold with mobile phones in the European Union in 2018 had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had a USB C connector and 21% a Lightning connector. The E.U. politicians have been campaigning for a common standard for over a decade. With Commission’s research estimating that disposed of and unused charging cables generate more than 11,000 tonnes of waste per year, the decision became unavoidable.
Last year, 420 million mobile phones and other portable electronic devices were sold in the E.U. The average person owns around three mobile phone chargers, of which they use two regularly. Roughly € 2.4 billion (U.S. $ 2.8 billion) are spent annually on standalone chargers that do not come with electronic devices.
The legislative proposal, known as a Directive, will now be debated by the European Parliament and National Governments. The Members of European Parliament and Member States may suggest amendments to the proposal. Once it comes into force, member states and manufacturers will have 2 years to comply with the latest regulations.
