On Thursday, the European Parliament passed an amendment in favour of the bloc's radio equipment law.
Under this amendment, consumers will be able to use a common cell phone charger by 2017.
Rapporteur Barbara Weiler said she was quite happy that the modernized Radio Equipment Directive included provisions for the launch of a common charger for all types of cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices manufactured by Samsung, Apple, Sony or Nokia.
This will be a beneficial development for both consumers and the environment, Weiler said in a statement. The common charger will make it easier for consumers to charge their cell phones, as they will not have to buy a specific charger for each phone they own. Every year, tonnes of electronic waste are generated.
Aside from making the amendment, European lawmakers backed provisions giving authorities more market surveillance tools to detect radio equipment that fails to comply with the new safety rules.
Now, the draft law has to be approved by the European Council, which consists of the European Union's heads of state.
The European Union's executive commission is going to negotiate the best design with device manufacturers in the next few months.
The member states of the bloc will be given two years to incorporate the changes into national legislation. Meanwhile, mobile device manufacturers have one more year to comply with the law.