The European Union has eased off from rules that would require certain devices to have “easily removable and replaceable” batteries. The rule, which falls under Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1670, would require manufacturers to allow users to easily remove and replace batteries within devices.
However, the Commission has backed off a bit, now offering exemptions for some wearable tech and other devices. Amongst those exceptions are the Apple Watch, Apple’s AirPods, and Meta’s smart glasses.
As reported by AppleInsider, Also exempt are electric toys and industrial devices where battery removal could pose a significant safety hazard.
There are a few reasons these items are now exempt from the rules. The first reason is operational conditions. Many of these devices will operate in wet or humid environments, and there are concerns that a user would not be able to properly reseal the battery compartment after a replacement, possibly posing a safety hazard.While this category of exemptions were originally intended to protect wet-operating devices like electric toothbrushes, wearable devices have been added to that “wet” list.
Items are also exempt if the batteries are deemed to dangerous to be removed, due to the way the product is designed or the environment in which it is to be used, such as a device used by children that could become a choking hazard if the battery were removable, or removable batteries that could pose an explosion risk in certain environments.
Items that cannot be redesigned with the “current state of the art technology” are also exempt, such as AirPods, simply because of their small size.
A Commission spokesperson told Politico that the move was made “to ensure safer consumer and industrial products in cases where opening a device could create safety risks or where technical limits make consumer access unrealistic,” and was not made to placate any one business or government.
