Advertisement
U.S. markets closed
  • S&P Futures

    5,208.50
    -6.25 (-0.12%)
     
  • Dow Futures

    39,204.00
    -19.00 (-0.05%)
     
  • Nasdaq Futures

    18,188.75
    -42.75 (-0.23%)
     
  • Russell 2000 Futures

    2,048.00
    -1.80 (-0.09%)
     
  • Crude Oil

    82.56
    -0.16 (-0.19%)
     
  • Gold

    2,164.20
    -0.10 (-0.00%)
     
  • Silver

    25.32
    +0.05 (+0.20%)
     
  • EUR/USD

    1.0879
    +0.0002 (+0.02%)
     
  • 10-Yr Bond

    4.3400
    +0.0360 (+0.84%)
     
  • Vix

    14.33
    -0.08 (-0.56%)
     
  • GBP/USD

    1.2727
    -0.0001 (-0.01%)
     
  • USD/JPY

    149.3360
    +0.2380 (+0.16%)
     
  • Bitcoin USD

    65,945.59
    -1,926.60 (-2.84%)
     
  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     
  • FTSE 100

    7,722.55
    -4.87 (-0.06%)
     
  • Nikkei 225

    39,596.29
    -144.15 (-0.36%)
     

EU to propose legislation on common mobile charger in Sept - source

By Francesco Guarascio

BRUSSELS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - The European Commission will next month present legislation to establish a common charger for mobile phones and other electronic devices within the 27-nation bloc, a person familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

The move will affect iPhone maker Apple more than its rivals. IPhones and most of Apple's products are powered by its Lightning cable, whereas Android devices are powered by USB-C connectors.

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, a Commission impact assessment study in 2019 found.

The EU executive is currently drafting the legislation, the source said, without giving further details. Lawmakers at the European Parliament last year voted overwhelmingly in favour of a common charger, citing environmental benefits and convenience to users.

Apple, Samsung, Huawei and Nokia signed a voluntary memorandum of understanding to harmonize chargers for new models of smartphones coming into the market in 2011 which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of different chargers and a convergence of the market to USB 2.0 micro-B connections.

The industry and the Commission subsequently tried to reach a final resolution on the issue in 2018 but failed.

Apple warned that the EU push for a common charger would hurt innovation and create a mountain of electronic waste if consumers were forced to switch to new chargers.

It also said the legislation was unnecessary as the industry moves to USB-C through a connector or cable assembly.

The Commission's 2019 study suggested five options for a common charger, three of which concerned the connectors at the device end and the other two the external power supply. (Writing by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Advertisement