At long last, the end of specific cell phone chargers for different brands and models is coming to an end … at least in Europe.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations body, has given final approval to a universal cell phone charger according to the BBC.  We first brought you news of this possibility back in Feb. of this year, and even we are a bit surprised by how fast this has become a reality.

It is not compulsory for cell phone manufacturers to use the new micro USB connection, but companies such as Sony Ericsson have already said they will be using it on new phones as they are introduced in 2010.

It is estimated that this new move will stop the production of 51,000 tons of redundant chargers each year, as well as the emission of 13.6 million tons of greenhouse gases.  Of course this isn’t to mention the amount of convenience it will make for consumers.  One charger will be able to be shared by a family … no more desperation if you lose your charger, just walk into any cell phone store and buy another … no more drawers full of chargers that no longer match your current phone and so on.

While this has mostly been discussed for Europe thus far, it is hard to believe that it won’t appear in other countries as well.  It is difficult to imagine that cell phone companies would want to tool different molds for different countries to use, the only difference will be the end that plugs into the wall as countries use different plug-in styles around the world.

Now, if only other electronics like laptops would do this also …