EU Exempts Smart Glasses from Battery Removability Requirement, Clearing Meta's Path to European Market
Taylor Wilson
The European Commission on July 14 exempted smart glasses from its mandatory removable-battery requirement — eliminating the biggest regulatory barrier to Meta's smart glasses in the EU. Samsung, Google, and Apple stand to benefit too, but a two-month objection window remains.
What exactly does this exemption cover?
The EU Battery Regulation originally required all portable electronics to give consumers a way to remove and replace the battery themselves, effective February 18, 2027.
This delegated act places smart glasses, smartwatches, fitness trackers, and electric toys — six product categories in total — on an exemption list.
This means → devices with sealed, non-removable batteries — like Meta's smart glasses — can no longer be blocked from the EU market on battery-design grounds alone.
Why is Meta the most direct beneficiary?
Meta's latest smart glasses use a unibody design with batteries sealed inside the temples. Consumers cannot remove them — making the glasses a textbook non-compliant product under the original rule.
Manufacturing partner EssilorLuxottica disclosed that Meta smart glasses have sold over 7 million units globally in 2025, with "exponential" growth in the U.S. market.
In plain terms = the product is selling fast and gaining momentum, but the EU door stayed shut — until now.
Did the U.S. pressure the EU?
U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder publicly defended Meta in March, calling the rule "too broad and too strict" and saying it blocked a quality product jointly developed by American and European companies.
The Commission explicitly denied yielding to pressure. Its statement cited broad public consultation with consumer groups, industry stakeholders, and member states, framing the decision as a safety measure for cases where disassembly poses risks or is technically impractical.
This reflects a familiar U.S.–EU pattern on tech regulation: Washington pushes publicly, Brussels insists on procedural legitimacy — the outcome aligns, but both sides need their own narrative.
Who else benefits?
Samsung, Google, and Apple all have smart-glasses products in development. All three stand to benefit from this exemption.
Medical devices, electric toothbrushes, and water flossers were already on the exemption list — this round formally adds wearable and connected consumer electronics.
This means → the exemption is not tailor-made for Meta. It opens the EU market gate for the entire smart-wearable category.
What could still go wrong?
The delegated act is not yet in force. The European Parliament and member-state governments have a two-month objection window; if no objection is raised, it will be published in the Official Journal and take effect 20 days later.
Meanwhile, privacy regulation pressure on smart glasses in Europe has not eased. Meta recently pushed a mandatory firmware update that auto-disables the camera when its privacy-indicator light is tampered with.
Put simply = the battery hurdle is cleared, but the privacy hurdle is still ahead. For smart glasses to truly gain a foothold in Europe, one exemption is far from enough.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.