The European Commission has granted wearable devices, including the Apple Watch, a formal exemption from EU rules that would have required batteries to be removable and replaceable by users.
Under the bloc’s Batteries Regulation, manufacturers of portable electronics were broadly required to design products so that consumers could swap out batteries themselves over the device’s lifetime.
That requirement posed a direct problem for sealed wearables, where waterproofing and compact construction make the battery inaccessible by design.
What the exemption covers
The Commission’s newly adopted delegated act carves out an exception for smartwatches, fitness trackers, smart glasses, and other small wearables where opening the device could compromise water resistance, structural integrity, or user safety.
Apple Watch, which uses a sealed enclosure to achieve its water resistance ratings, falls squarely within that category.
For Apple, the change removes a regulatory obstacle that could have forced a hardware redesign specifically for the European market.
Without the exemption, Apple would have faced a choice between reworking the Watch’s construction or restricting certain models from EU sale.
How this decision came together
The policy shift follows months of friction between U.S. officials and EU regulators over how the battery rules applied to American consumer products.
Meta’s smart glasses were held up during their European rollout earlier this year because of the same regulation, and the U.S. ambassador to the EU publicly criticized the restrictions.
A Commission spokesperson denied that the bloc had yielded to American pressure, explaining that the exemption proposal emerged from a broad public consultation with consumer groups, industry, and EU member states.
The spokesperson added that the goal is simply to address genuine safety risks where allowing consumer access to batteries is either dangerous or technically impossible.
What still needs to happen
The Commission has adopted the delegated act, but it now moves to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU for scrutiny.
If neither body objects, the regulation takes effect 20 days after publication in the EU’s Official Journal. That process leaves a window for the exemption to be challenged before it becomes binding law.
Apple Watch owners in Europe will not notice any immediate change. The practical effect is that Apple retains the freedom to continue selling its current sealed Watch designs across EU member states without facing penalties or redesign mandates tied to battery accessibility rules.
