Just over six months after the proposal was presented by the European Commission last autumn, the House of Representatives and the Council of Ministers are now giving the go-ahead.
“Today we have made the common charger a reality. European consumers have long been frustrated by the amount of chargers popping up with each new device. Now they will be able to use one and the same charger for all their portable electronics “, Maltese EU Member of Parliament Alex Agius Saliba is proud of in a press release after today’s compromise.
Laptops are coming
According to the agreement, mobile phones and tablets and more must be equipped with a USB c-port, regardless of who the manufacturer is. The requirement takes effect two years after both Parliament and the Council of Ministers have formally confirmed the agreement. For laptops, manufacturers in turn then have just over three more years – 40 months – to adapt.
The proposal has previously received criticism, including from the technology giant Apple, which considered that the regulation risks “damaging innovation”. Something the European Commission does not agree with.