Why it matters: For more than a decade, the European Parliament has been seeking a common standard for electronic device chargers. This week, it moved one step closer to enacting such a policy that would have the most dramatic impact on Apple.
Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday almost unanimously agreed on a proposal to establish USB-Type C as the standard connection port for electronic devices. The European Commission made the proposal last fall.
The proposed Radio Equipment Directive aims to reduce consumer confusion about the types of cables used by different equipment. Another goal is to reduce e-waste through platform-independent charging ports.
The preliminary proposal passed by a nearly unanimous 43-2 vote. If approved by the European Parliament plenary in May, members of parliament will discuss final details with EU member state governments.
Most manufacturers are already using USB-C, including Apple’s iPads and MacBooks. Apple rejected calls for a USB-C port for iPhones, suggesting a mandatory standard on the charger end of the power cord. Apple’s Lightning-to-USB-C cables already meet this standard.
If the proposal doesn’t pass, you can always do it yourself. Last fall, an engineering student successfully retrofitted a USB-C port into an iPhone and posted instructions for the process.
