Tech firms cheer, but right-to-repair advocates are outraged

The list contains six new categories, including wearable devices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and electric toys.

Die EU-Kommission hat neue Ausnahmen für fest verbaute Akkus beschlossen. Die EU erweitert die Ausnahmeliste um sechs Produktkategorien.

La Commissione Europea esenta smartwatch e fitness tracker dall'obbligo di batterie rimovibili per i consumatori, citando motivi di sicurezza e limiti tecnici nel regolamento…

Brussels has carved wearables out of its battery law, clearing the way for Meta's glasses. Nintendo, meanwhile, is pulling the Switch from Europe.

The European Commission has revised its battery regulations to exempt devices such as the Apple Watch from requirements that batteries be removable and replaceable by users.

Tech firms cheer, but right-to-repair advocates are outraged

The EU is excluding wearable devices, including smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smart glasses, from an incoming rule that will require a wide range of electronics to have…

Link to: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-adds-exemptions-portable-battery-removal-rules-2026-07-14_en

The European Commission has exempted smartwatches and other wearables from its 2027 replaceable battery mandate under the EU Batteries Regulation, ensuring design flexibility.

Dal 2027 le batterie dovranno essere sostituibili, ma la Commissione UE ha già adottato sei deroghe, anche per smartwatch e giocattoli.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers have been exempted from EU rules that require more easily user-replaceable batteries in devices sold in Europe from 2027 onwards.

Built-in batteries put a timebomb inside devices, with especially the calendar aging feature of Li-ion chemistries setting a hard limit on when you’ll have to toss the device or…