EU parliament votes to mandate one standard charger for all phones

Proprietary cables could soon be a thing of the past as European Union pushes for standardisation

The bloc wants to cut waste

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An EU plan to force phone manufacturers to use one common standard charger has moved a step closer after it was approved by the European Parliament this week.

The European Union hopes that mandating USB-C ports on all smartphones will cut waste, make devices more interoperable, and promote consumer competition.

MEPs on the parliament’s influential Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the position on Wednesday by 43 votes in favour and two against, with support from the parliament’s main political groups.