070209_tf_microusbstandard1.jpgOn Monday, all of Europe's top mobile telephone suppliers—including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Apple, LG, NEC, Qualcomm, Research in Motion and Samsung—agreed to back an EU-wide harmonization of phone chargers, Reuters reported that the European Commission said. Starting next year, all new cell phones will share the same MicroUSB connection hardware. So what does the news mean for you and your apartment?

070209_tf_microusbstandard2.jpgWell our European Apartment Therapy fans will now be able to enjoy the luxury of having all the phones in your house charged on one same cord.

That's sure to make bedside tables and kitchen counters a lot less cluttered! We can only hope that the good old USA follows suit. (US manufacturers agreed to do this two years ago, but so far we're all still making friends with another BlackBerry addict in the office to bum a charge)

What do you think? Is a standardization of cell phone chargers the way to go? Or is this just unnecessary intervention? At the very least, you can admit it's a way better option than lugging around this eyesore to charge your family's cells. Let us know in the comments!

Top image from Andrew Currie on Flickr with a Creative Commons license.