The European Union already initiated a Battery Directive in 2006 that aimed to make it easier to dispose of and recycle old batteries, but it looks like it's now taking things one big step further with its "New Battery Directive," which proposes that batteries in all electronic devices should be able to be "readily removed" for replacement or disposal.
New Electronics' Gary Nevison further adds that "the requirement is clearly intended to ensure that users can remove batteries by opening a cover by hand or after removal of one or two screws," which would obviously pose a bit of a problem for the iPhone, not to mention every iPod and even a few non-Apple devices. Then again, this wouldn't be the first time that Apple has tangled with the EU, and we have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last.
