The EU Commission has adopted new rules exempting six additional products categories from EU requirements on the removability and replaceability of portable batteries.
The products include smartwatches and fitness trackers, electric toys, and explosion-proof industrial equipment.
The decision follows a public consultation and discussions with consumer associations, industry stakeholders and Member States, says the Commission.
Under the Batteries Regulation, portable batteries in products sold in the EU must generally be removable and replaceable by consumers – and this general rule remains. Indeed, by making portable batteries easy to remove and replace, products can last longer, and batteries can be recycled more easily.
However, the Commission says exemptions are justified where opening a device could create safety risks or where technical limits make consumer access unrealistic. That includes products that expose children to risks, products that can be exposed to water, devices designed for very compact use, and equipment used in hazardous industrial environments.
Exemptions already apply, mainly for safety reasons, to products such as medical devices and so-called ‘wet appliances’ – for instance electric toothbrushes or water flossers. For these products, and the ones now added to the existing list, batteries only need to be removable and replaceable by independent professionals, not consumers themselves.
Following the adoption of the delegated act, the European Parliament and Council have two months to formulate any objections. If they do not, it will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.
The Commission is also adopting an update to the existing guidelines on the removability and replaceability of portable batteries to provide guidance to product manufacturers on how to apply the new derogations.
After adoption by the Commission, the delegated act is transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for their scrutiny. It will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, if the European Parliament or the Council fail to object to it.
