A European Union directive aimed at promoting the repair of consumer goods took effect on Friday, July 31, introducing new obligations on manufacturers and expanding consumer rights across member states.
The directive, adopted by the European Parliament in June 2024, applies to roughly a dozen product categories, mostly electronics and household appliances. These include televisions, smartphones, tablets, data storage servers, washing machines, dryers, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and dishwashers. Electronic display devices and welding equipment are also covered.
René Repasi, the Parliament’s rapporteur for the directive and a Social Democrats member from Germany, said consumer rights to repair products would now become a reality. He said it would be easier and cheaper to repair items rather than buy costly new ones, describing the measure as a significant step toward giving citizens tools to fight climate change.
What the rules require
Under Article 5 of Directive 2024/1799, EU member states must ensure that manufacturers repair eligible goods when a consumer requests it. The repair must be carried out free of charge or at a reasonable price and within a reasonable timeframe. Where repair is impossible, a term the directive leaves legally open and which could complicate enforcement, the manufacturer may offer the consumer a refurbished product instead.
Spare parts must be made available at a price that does not discourage repair. This adds to an existing requirement for manufacturers to maintain a stock of replacement parts for seven or ten years after the last unit of a product is placed on the market, depending on the product type.
Manufacturers, their representatives, importers or distributors are also required to make information about their repair services freely available in a clear and accessible way for at least the duration of the repair obligation.
When the rules apply
The new obligations cover breakdowns or damage that occur outside the standard two-year legal guarantee. Within that guarantee period, consumers can already demand repair over replacement, provided repair is the cheaper option.
Online platform and information form
The directive calls for the creation of a European online repair platform to help consumers find repair professionals, sellers of refurbished goods, buyers of defective items intended for reconditioning, and community repair initiatives.
Professionals will also be required to provide a free European information form to anyone seeking to have a product repaired, setting out details such as what repairs are covered, the price and the expected timeframe. The form is intended to allow consumers to compare repair offers and limit abusive practices.
The legislation is less ambitious than the original proposal put forward by the European Commission, but the European Parliament’s website notes that electronics are the fastest-growing category of waste within the EU and that recycling remains difficult. A 2020 Eurobarometer survey found that 77 percent of EU consumers said they would prefer to repair goods rather than replace them, though many are ultimately forced to discard items instead.
