EU Adopts New Battery Law Requiring Replaceable Batteries in Portable Electronic Devices

The Council of Europe has adopted a new law that will require all portable electronic devices to be equipped with replaceable batteries from 2027. All European legislative bodies have now agreed to the law, which is expected to be signed by the European Parliament and the EC this summer.

What the Law Stipulates

The law stipulates that from 2027, batteries in portable electronic devices must be removable and replaceable. A battery is considered replaceable if end-users can remove and replace the battery themselves with over-the-counter and non-specialized tools, when no free tools are included. However, if the removal and replacement of the battery requires heat and/or solvents, the battery cannot be considered replaceable.

Exceptions to the Law

Manufacturers do get a number of exceptions. When a battery is specifically intended for use in or near water, a replaceable battery does not need to be supplied. Even if a direct connection between the battery and the rest of the device in question is important, manufacturers do not have to comply with the regulations.

Recycling Battery Raw Materials

In addition to replaceability, the new European battery law also regulates the components that a battery must consist of. According to the new regulations, these must consist largely of recyclable raw materials. For example, batteries used for industrial applications and for electric cars must have a recycling percentage of 16 percent for cobalt, 85 percent for lead, 6 percent for lithium and also 6 percent for nickel.
In addition, for lithium, 50 percent of all discarded lithium must be recycled from the end of 2027. By the end of 2031, this percentage will even increase to 80 percent.
The EU wants to enforce the recycling measures in the battery law through due diligence rules. Manufacturers are required to state the origin of the raw materials mandatory verification. An exception is made for SMEs.
Despite the new law, the EU’s battery vision still has many hurdles to overcome.