EU Bid for Common Mobile Charger 'Undermines Innovation,' Says CCC

The European Parliament calling for a common charger for all smartphones, tablets and e-readers “undermines innovation, restricts competition and hurts consumers,” said Maria Chaplia, European affairs associate at the Consumer Choice Center, responding to a Tuesday resolution. In 2009, the European Commission began encouraging universal chargers. Saying “conformity is the greatest enemy of progress,” Chaplia cited varying preferences for devices “be it Apple, or Samsung, or Meizu, or Nokia.” New versions of products appear regularly as competition drives companies to continually improve products and offer more choice, she said. The EP shouldn’t decide which technology consumers use and “should embrace neutrality,” she said: Forcing companies to adopt a universal charger would inflict costs on device makers, leaving consumers to “foot the bill.” A 2014 directive sought a common charger. Voluntary agreements among industry players “have not yielded desired results,” said EU Monday: Old chargers generate more than 51,000 tons of e-waste annually.