EU plan for common worldwide phone charger port takes step closer

FILE PHOTO: Bridget Cosgrave, Director General of DigitalEurope, displays a harmonised mobile phone charger during a news conference at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels February 8, 2011. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's bid to adopt a common charging port for mobile phones, tablets and headphones took a step forward on Wednesday when an EU panel backed the proposal, paving the way for an assembly vote next month.

The European Commission suggested a single mobile charging port more than a decade ago, hoping phone makers would be able to find a common solution. It proposed draft legislation last year, a world first, after they failed to do so.