Overview
- The European Commission adopted a delegated act on Tuesday that exempts smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses and wireless earbuds from the EU requirement that users be able to remove and replace portable batteries.
- The measure also adds exemptions for rechargeable electric toys, food-contact thermometer probes, equipment for explosive atmospheres, on-body medical delivery systems and telematics devices for agricultural and construction machinery.
- The delegated act now goes to the European Parliament and the Council for scrutiny and will take effect 20 days after publication in the Official Journal if neither body objects.
- Exempted products must still allow independent professionals to replace batteries and manufacturers must make any specialized tools available to those professionals on fair, non-discriminatory terms.
- The change removes a near-term design hurdle for products such as the Apple Watch, AirPods and reported plans for Meta’s smart glasses while leaving open concerns about repairability and the regulation’s goal of reducing e-waste.