EU eases user-replaceable battery rules for some wearables

The European Commission has adopted a delegated act that would exempt some wearable devices from upcoming EU rules requiring users to be able to remove and replace portable batteries themselves. The change could affect products such as smartwatches, fitness trackers and smart glasses, including categories occupied by Apple Watch and Meta’s AI glasses, by letting manufacturers rely on independent professionals for battery replacement instead.

The delegated act was adopted on July 14 and will now go to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for review. According to the Commission, it will take effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU if neither institution objects.

The EU’s portable battery replaceability requirement is scheduled to apply from 2027. In general, it requires device makers to design products so customers can open them and change batteries. Phones are covered by the broader rule, though handsets that meet specified durability and IP67 criteria can keep battery replacement limited to professionals.

What the exemption covers

The Commission’s delegated act adds qualifying wearables to the list of products exempt from end-user replaceability. Wet appliances already have an exemption from that part of the rules. The Commission defines the relevant wearable category as including smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and products integrated into clothing.

The batteries in these devices still have to be replaceable. The narrower change is about who can do the work. For covered wearables, the Commission says removal and replacement may be performed by independent professionals rather than by the device owner.

In its document, the Commission said miniaturized wearable designs can leave small batteries tightly enclosed in a way that creates a material risk of damage or battery puncture during removal. It also said professional-only replacement can be justified where anatomical or ergonomic constraints make redesign difficult.

For hardware companies, the exemption reduces a design constraint that could have been hard to square with compact consumer devices worn on the body. Smart glasses and watches are sold partly on size, weight, water resistance and fit. User-accessible battery compartments can conflict with those priorities, particularly in devices with limited internal volume.

Right-to-repair goals meet product design limits

The battery rules are part of the EU’s broader sustainability framework for sourcing, collection, recycling and reuse of batteries. The policy goal is to reduce the need to discard a device once its battery degrades, while making battery recycling easier.

Hardware life, however, is not only a battery issue. The US PIRG action group has estimated that expired software or server support accounted for 1.7 billion pounds of electronic waste over the past decade. Campaigners have pressed the EU to require 15 years of operating system updates, a proposal that would shift more of the durability burden from hardware design to software support commitments.

The Commission denied that the wearable exemption was a concession to industry pressure. A spokesperson told The Register that the Commission “has not given in to anyone’s pressure” and said the proposal followed a broad public consultation involving consumer associations, industry stakeholders and member states. The spokesperson also said the issue had been raised by several representatives.

The Commission said the delegated act is not aimed at any one product and is intended to address cases where opening a device could create safety risks or where technical limits make consumer access unrealistic. It also pointed to existing exemptions, including for medical devices.

The practical impact will depend on which products qualify and how national enforcement treats repair access. The Commission did not name manufacturers, disclose lobbying details or say how many devices it expects to fall under the new wearable exemption.

This story draws on original reporting from The Register.