The problem: every mobile phone manufacturer has its own battery charger standard. When you change phones, you acquire a new charger too. Either you throw out your old charger, or (like me) you amass a collection of functioning but useless chargers.

Is there a better way?

For Gûnter Verheugen, European Commission Vice-President responsible for enterprise and industrial policy, the answer is "yes!".

The Commission now proudly presents an agreement under which phone makers agree on a common charger format, based on the mini-USB socket, for the entire European Union. According to the Commission, this will reduce manufacturer costs, improve energy efficiency, and reduce the number of chargers thrown away when consumers buy new phones.

I'm all in favor of a mobile phone battery charger common to most or all manufacturers. But I'm also a natural skeptic, with some questions:

  • Will there be political follow-up? European elections were held earlier this month. A new Commission will be named. Verheugen is at the end of his term. He has not tried to legislate on this point while in office, and he will no longer be in office to oversee the implementation of this measure.
  • Is this measure too little, or too much? Couldn't standard-setting or norm-making bodies have reached the same outcome, without involving the European Commission? If the Commission isn't a superfluous fifth wheel, wouldn't legislation have made more sense (because of a more certain outcome)?
  • According to the Commission, the agreement applies only to data-enabled mobile phones. What benefit will the agreement have for other phones, such as the simplest voice-only phones? For the Commission, apparently none.
  • According to the agreement (section 4.2.1), manufacturers can achieve compliance by making available an adaptor, for example a manufacturer-specific cable between the common charger and a headset. Doesn't this undermine the goal of a common charger?
  • According to the Commission, you "will not need to buy a new charger together with every mobile phone". Will manufacturers really offer handsets without chargers? Will manufacturers, including those not in the handset business, offer chargers as a stand-alone product?