EU Weakens Landmark Right-to-Repair Battery Rules With Six New Exemptions

The European Union's 2027 mandate requiring user-replaceable batteries in consumer electronics was supposed to be a victory for the right-to-repair movement. But six new exemption categories announced this week carve out smartwatches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds, and even some smartphones, significantly narrowing the scope of what many hoped would be a transformative regulation.

The EU Battery Regulation, adopted in 2023, originally required that all portable batteries in products sold within the bloc be removable and replaceable by the end user by 2027. The goal was to combat planned obsolescence and the growing problem of electronic waste, since lithium-ion batteries are often the first component to fail in a device — and the hardest to replace when they are glued, soldered, or sealed inside.

Key exemption: Smartphones whose batteries retain at least 83% of their original capacity after 500 charge cycles are exempt from the user-replaceable requirement. Since most modern flagships comfortably meet this threshold, the vast majority of phones sold in 2027 and beyond may still ship with sealed batteries that only professionals can replace.

Three facts to know

The broadest exemption covers "wet devices" — smartwatches, fitness trackers, wireless earbuds, and outdoor speakers — where manufacturers argue that water resistance is incompatible with user-replaceable batteries. Critics note that gaskets and silicone seals have been used for decades to make battery compartments waterproof without sacrificing accessibility.
Industry lobbying pressure is widely believed to have shaped the exemptions. The consumer electronics sector pushed back hard against the original mandate, arguing that sealed designs enable thinner devices, better water resistance, and more design flexibility — and that user-replaceable batteries add mechanical complexity that consumers do not demand.
The Nintendo Switch 2 will reportedly have a user-replaceable battery in both the main unit and its controllers, suggesting that at least some major manufacturers are complying with the spirit of the regulation. But the exemptions mean that the everyday devices people carry in their pockets and wear on their wrists may remain sealed for years to come.

The impact extends beyond convenience. Built-in batteries create a hard expiration date for devices: lithium-ion cells degrade with calendar age whether they are used or not, meaning a perfectly functional smartphone or smartwatch becomes a paperweight when its battery can no longer hold a charge and cannot be replaced without specialized tools. The new exemptions mean that millions of devices will continue to be discarded prematurely, contributing to the estimated 50 million tonnes of e-waste generated globally each year. The right-to-repair battle, it seems, is far from over.