Apple objects to EU proposal for uniform

Smart Phone charging port

The European Parliament has been discussing introducing legislation forcing Smart Phone manufacturers to adopt a common charging port.

However, Apple is objecting to this apparently on environmental grounds.

Apple argues that if it is forced to change its Lightening cable to conform with a standard charging port, this will create “unprecedented volumes of electronic waste”.

In support of its argument Apple points to over 1bn Apple Smartphones which it has sold with its own Lightening connector. It says that to change this and render the present device redundant would have serious environmental negative impact and more so taking into account the packaging, accessory and other devices around the Lightening connector presently in use.

Apple goes on to argue that such a change would be highly disruptive of its millions of customers and create a massive amount of electronic waste.

Apple goes on to argue that the EU proposal to introduce regulations mandating a uniform charging port is effectively anti-competitive, negative to innovation and would be detrimental to the interests of consumers not only in Europe but around the world.

Law makers in the EU Parliament want to introduce regulations that chargers are uniform and fit all mobile phones and portable devices. Back in 2009 a number of Smart Phone manufactures including Nokia , Apple and Samsung made a voluntary agreement to make chargers compatible with the micro USB standard. However, subsequently Apple manufactured its own Lightening port in 2012 and sold a micro USB Adapter instead. In addition to its arguments on the basis of negative environmental impact and stifling of innovation Apple has also made technical arguments to support its rejection of the proposed law.

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This document is for information purposes only and does not purport to represent legal advice.  
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