EU spares smartwatches from battery swap rule

The European Commission has carved out new exceptions to the EU’s battery rules, and smartwatches are among the biggest winners. Under draft exemptions announced this week, six categories of electronics will no longer have to meet the bloc’s 2027 requirement for user-replaceable batteries.

×

The European Union began enforcing its Batteries Regulation in 2023 as part of the European Green Deal, with the replaceable-battery mandate set to take effect in 2027. The Commission’s draft exemptions now cover:

• Wearable devices
• Certain medical devices
• Electronic toys
• Portable thermometers
• Roof-mounted telematics devices
• Devices designed for use in “explosive atmospheres”

For wearables, the Commission specifically names smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and other electronics built into clothing or accessories. These products may avoid user-replaceable battery requirements, but many will still need to be repairable by a trained professional.

The draft does not explicitly mention wireless earbuds, but products such as Apple’s AirPods could still qualify under the wearable exemption if opening them would compromise safety, durability, or water resistance.

Smartphones are not exempt. Still, the current EU rules do not require every phone battery swap to be as simple as removing a back cover. Replacements are allowed if they do not require specialized tools — or if those tools are supplied by the manufacturer — and if the process does not affect the device’s safety. Engadget notes that Apple’s Self Service Repair program appears to fit that framework.

Recommended reading

Meta smart glasses got a pro cyclist disqualified

The draft exemptions now go to the EU Parliament and the Council of the EU for scrutiny. If neither objects, they will take effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

When the battery regulation was adopted, the Commission said replaceable batteries would help build a greener, more circular economy and “will extend the life of these products before their final disposal, will encourage re-use and will contribute to the reduction of post-consumer waste.” In the US, similar right-to-repair efforts remain uneven, with state laws in California, Minnesota, New York and Oregon, but no meaningful federal equivalent moving forward.