June 30, 2009 -- In response to a request by the European Commission for a voluntary commitment to solve the problem of incompatibility of mobile phone chargers (so as to avoid legislation), major producers of mobile phones have agreed to harmonize the production of chargers in the EU. In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently submitted to the Commission, the industry committed to provide charger compatibility on the basis of the Micro-USB connector.
The first generation of new inter-chargeable mobile phones should reach the EU market by 2010. The following companies have signed the MoU: Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, Research in Motion (RIM), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments.
Vice-President Günter Verheugen, responsible for the Commision's enterprise and industrial policy, comments, "I am very pleased that industry has found an agreement, which will make life much simpler for consumers. They will be able to charge mobile phones anywhere from the new common charger. This also means considerably less electronic waste, because people will no longer have to throw away chargers when buying new phones. I am also very pleased that this solution was found on the basis of self-regulation. As a result, the Commission does not consider it necessary to introduce legislation."
To facilitate its implementation, the MoU will be accompanied by a new EU standard whereby safe use of new mobile phones as well as avoidance of radio interference problems will be guaranteed. Working closely with industry to ensure that the MoU will be operational quickly, the European Commission expects that the first generation of new inter-chargeable mobile phones will reach the EU market by 2010.
Further, the Commission states that it expects "that the MoU will not preclude innovation in the fast moving mobile phone market by fixing a certain technology forever. Therefore, when the time has come, the MoU will adapt to future charging technologies."
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