Common charger will end cable chaos

The tangled web of cables and chargers for mobile phones and other devices — typical in so many homes and offices — will soon be a thing of the past with manufacturers legally obliged to conform to one specific plug for all.

More than 500m mobile phones alone are used in the EU and at least 30 types of chargers; generating about 51,000 tonnes of electronic waste a year and costing consumers and the environment dearly.

A previous attempt at conformation was made when phone manufacturers agreed to produce a common charger — but just for smartphones. However, this agreement collapsed after a year or two.

Now the European Parliament has agreed to a law making it compulsory for all radio equipment — including phones, tablets, car door openers, and modems — to be chargeable using the same charger.

The vote was welcomed by MEP Sean Kelly who has campaigned loudly for the common charger for a number of years, including as Fine Gael’s spokesman for consumer affairs in the parliament.

#Europe: a common charger for all devices within 3 years @WiredUK @EUlondonrep @FT @EUinnovation @fttechnews pic.twitter.com/ze1bOvSgi6

— Antonio Tajani (@Antonio_Tajani) March 13, 2014

“This historic vote is the outcome of a long campaign that will see manufacturers having to agree on a common technology — it is a real victory for consumers, especially coming hot on the heels of lowered roaming rates, shows how the parliament can work for citizens,” he said.

The new rules are part of a wider piece of legislation designed to modernise the Radio Equipment Directive, which is designed to prevent interference between different radio devices.

This is necessary because of the ever growing number of devices using radio, the dangers of failing to ensure that they do not interfere with each other, and that they meet health and safety requirements.

The EU has taken steeps to introduce a common mobile phone charger. http://t.co/LaatmxMxx5 No more cluttered drawers! pic.twitter.com/4tiCXJ15vq

— Euro Parliament (@EP_Edinburgh) March 13, 2014

The authorities will also have greater powers to detect equipment that does not meet the new safety standards and for the first time there will be an EU-wide database of equipment that needs to be registered before being put on the market.

The draft law will now go back to the council, representing the members for formal approval. Governments will have two years to bring it into national law and manufacturers will have an additional year to comply, meaning that the common charger should be a reality before 2018.