EU deal on single mobile charging port by year end is possible, lawmaker says

FILE PHOTO: A view of a harmonised mobile phone charger is seen during a news conference at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels February 8, 2011. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

STRASBOURG (Reuters) - EU lawmakers and member states could clinch a deal on a common charging port for mobile phones, tablets and headphone by the end of the year, a key lawmaker said on Tuesday, a proposal that has been strongly criticised by iPhone maker Apple.

The European Commission first broached a single mobile charging port more than a decade ago but last year proposed draft legislation in a world first, after companies failed to agree on a common solution.