In the wake of an announcement made by GSMA (Global System Mobile Association) in February 2009 that it had signed an agreement with 17 mobile phone makers to adopt a common Micro USB-based AC adapter by 2012 for their mobile phones, the European Commission recently has entered into a similar agreement with ten mobile phone makers, whereby the latter agreed to sell their mobile phones with universal mobile phone chargers starting in 2010, Reuters reported on June 29. Under the agreement, the European Commission will use the same adapter as in China, a Micro USB-based AC adapter. China has begun promoting universal mobile phone adapters since 2007, with an aim to standardize the adapter nationwide by 2012.

Participants in the European Commission agreement include Apple, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Qualcomm, RIM (Research in Motion), Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Texas Instruments. Meanwhile, companies involved in the GSMA agreement include 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, Mobilkom Austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Of all the abovementioned companies, Motorola, Nokia, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson participated in both GSMA and European Commission agreements.