Apple argued that consistent regulation would stifle innovation, not encourage it, and would hurt European consumers and the broader economy

Apple argued that consistent regulation would stifle innovation, not encourage it, and would hurt European consumers and the broader economy

If you don't mind vendors continuing to roll out proprietary data lines and adapters, the 2009 MOU was a success. But the commission noted in its assessment paper that the MOU had effectively failed, with the aim of reducing the number of chargers needed and "decoupling" devices so that phones no longer always had to come with their own chargers.

Before the vote, Apple had argued in a letter to the commission that requiring it to drop the Lightning connector would actually lead to "an unprecedented increase in e-waste" as it transitioned to the new standard.

"We believe that regulation that would force the same type of connector built into all smartphones would stifle innovation, not encourage it, and would harm European consumers and the economy as a whole," Apple wrote. We hope that the Commission will continue to seek a solution that does not limit the industry's ability to innovate and bring exciting new technologies to customers."

The European vote on standardisation of chargers is far from a straightforward decision to adopt any kind of standard and enforce it. The Commission's report makes clear that "there is no clear 'best' solution".

The report offers a variety of possible options, from allowing dedicated chargers with adapters to mandating USB-C, and several in between. The main standardization involved in these changes is not the cables and connectors, but the chargers themselves. Most phones use a power cord to plug into what is called an "external power source."

"The most effective way to address the inconvenience caused to consumers by the persistence of different charging solutions is to seek a combination of universal connectors and interoperable external power sources," the commission said in its report.

The European Parliament has overwhelmingly backed some standardisation of chargers for smartphones and a requirement that other mobile devices be charged in the same way. However, this plan has neither a specific timetable nor a specific plan.