The European Union begins negotiations on the single charger for smartphones

Europe 1 with AFP 12:05 p.m., May 4, 2022

Negotiations between the European Parliament and the Member States on the Brussels project for a universal charger for smartphones, tablets or consoles and portable speakers will begin, the Parliament announced on Wednesday, which also wishes to extend the measure to computers.

"Parliament is now ready to enter into negotiations with EU governments on the final form of legislation," the institution said during its plenary session in Strasbourg.

In the name of the rights of the environment and consumers, forced to accumulate incompatible chargers for their various portable devices, the European Commission had proposed in September a regulation for a universal charger.

Such legislation, which must have the approval of both Parliament – ​​in favor of this subject for years – and of the Member States, has so far always come up against the reluctance of the industry, Apple in the lead.

Imposing the USB-C charger

From around thirty types of chargers in 2009, they have now fallen to three: the Micro USB connector which has long been fitted to the majority of telephones, USB-C, a more recent connection, and the Lightning used by Apple .

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How the European Union wants to impose a universal charger for laptops

Brussels wants to impose the USB-C port on all small and medium-sized electronic devices and decouple the sale of devices from that of chargers - which would make it possible to use any charger indiscriminately, while the harmonization of fast charging technologies would guarantee the same charging speed, avoiding it being restricted when used with a device of a different brand.

Unlike the Commission, the European Parliament wants to extend the obligation of a universal charger to laptop computers, and harmonize wireless charging techniques by the end of 2026. It also calls for clear labels to better inform consumers about loading options.