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Mobile phone firms agree to produce common charger
Ben Bailey29.06.09
Europe's mass of different mobile phone chargers will be replaced next year by one type, following an industry agreement signed with the European Commission today.
The move means an end to household cupboards full of chargers, most only compatible with one kind of mobile phone.
"I am very pleased that industry has found an agreement which will make life simpler for consumers," said EU Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen after endorsing a voluntary commitment backed by 10 companies - Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, NEC, Research in Motion, Samsung and LG.
The Commission was threatening legislation unless a voluntary deal was reached to enable all mobile users to charge their phones from a common charger design.
"This also means considerably less electronic waste, because people will no longer have to throw away chargers when buying new phones," went on Mr Verheugen.
"I am pleased this solution was found on the basis of self-regulation. As a result the Commission does not consider it necessary to introduce legislation."
Intense talks between the phone firms and Commission officials produced a "Memorandum of Understanding" indicating that the first generation of "inter-chargeable" mobile phones will reach the EU market from 2010, compatible with a new common charger.
The Commission says reducing the number of chargers unnecessarily sold will cut the associated electronic waste, currently amounting to thousands of tonnes a year.
Harmonised chargers will also improve energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption. And they should give mobile users an "easier life", cutting costs by removing the likelihood of needing a new charger to go with a new mobile phone, and by cutting confusion by removing the need to hunt all over the house for the correct charger.
Reader views (5)
Some welcome progress.
Now if we could get you English to drive on the right side of the road... 
- Trunk, US
Didn't I read something about mobile 'phone sales tailing off a couple of weeks ago? Sounds like an excuse to get us all to buy a new mobile! - and how green is that?
- The Non Shouty Jim, London
Forget the EURO!
Just give us one charger and one powerplug/socket.
That would be real progress.
- Weddigen, London SW3
About bloody time!
Next, can they please abolish the crazy law which forces every IT gadget to be sold with yet another power cable, when the old cable was perfectly good for decades' more use?
And after that can they make it illegal to sell any device that uses more than the absolute minimum amount of electricity while in standby? Your TV remote is on standby 24 hours/day 365 days/year and it lasts several years on two little batteries, so why is a typical telly or PC on standby using a serious fraction of a light-bulb? Answer - it's a few pennies cheaper that way.
- Nigel, London
TO THINK THEY ARE UP IN ARMS ABOUT SILLY PLASTIC BAGS WHEN EVERYONE HAS ABOUT A DOZEN MOBILE CHARGERS LYING ABOUT AT HOME THEY ALWAYS BREAKDOWN THANK GOODNESS THAT SOMEONE FROM THE RIGHTEOUSE BRIGADE HAS WOKEN UP TO REALITY WHY CANT THEY MAKE POLY BAGS THICKER MAYBE THEY WILL LAST LONGER INSTEAD OF THOSE FLIMSY BLOW AWAY ONES A GOOD SOLID PLASTIC BAG WONT TAKE OF IN THE WIND YOU CAN USE LOTS OF TIMES AND THEY WONT GET STUCK IN THE TREES CAUSING AN EYESORE OR IS IT TO MUCH COMMON SENSE THEY ARE AN ESSENTIAL ITEM ,
- Jim, london
