EU officials want to encourage customers to repair broken devices instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. MEPs supported incentives for consumers to choose repair over replacement during the liability period, such as extending the legal warranty by one year for repaired products. MEPs also want member states to promote repairs through financial incentives such as vouchers and national recovery funds.
EU Replacement devices – available for rent
Device manufacturers would be obliged to repair a certain number of products (e.g. household washing machines, vacuum cleaners, smartphones, bicycles), even if they are not covered by a legal warranty. To encourage this, MEPs want repairs to be carried out within a “reasonable time frame and for manufacturers to be able to offer consumers replacement devices on loan”. If the device could not be repaired, manufacturers could, instead, offer a “refurbished product”.
It’s not everything. Under the new rules, national online platforms would allow customers to find “local workshops and sellers of refurbished goods”. Consumers could also get an overview of the repair conditions for each device, including information about the repair shop, maximum price and time needed, and could then compare different offers.
The project will be submitted to the plenary session of the European Parliament
– Today we have established direct repair obligations for manufacturers and introduced new incentives for consumers to choose repair. We have strengthened the role of independent repairers and placed them at the center of repair improvement in Europe. With better access to relevant technical repair information and affordable spare parts for workshops, including the promotion of 3D printing of parts, greater competition will reduce repair costs. We have combined this with the commitment of Member States to establish financial incentives to revitalize the repair sector, said German rapporteur Rene Repasi.
What path awaits the “right to repair” project? It will be put to a vote by MEPs during the plenary session on November 20-23. Once the Council adopts its position, negotiations on the final text can begin.
According to the EU Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the premature disposal of usable consumer goods generates 261 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, consumes 30 million tonnes of resources and results in 35 million tonnes of waste in the EU every year. At the same time, consumers who choose replacement instead of repair lose approximately EUR 12 billion per year.
Source: Gazeta
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