Right to Repair: A Step Towards Sustainable Consumption
The European Parliament takes a significant step towards promoting sustainable consumption by voting in favour of the European Commission’s Right to Repair Proposal on 21 November. This directive aligns with the objectives of the European Green Deal and aims to encourage consumers to repair products rather than replacing them. The proposal, accompanied by amendments from the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), introduces key measures to strengthen the right to repair and reduce waste.
Key points in the Right to Repair Proposal
- Free repair within the legal guarantee: Sellers will be obligated to repair products for free within the legal guarantee period, emphasizing the importance of product longevity.
- Repair beyond the legal guarantee: Producers will be obligated to repair products that are technically repairable beyond the legal guarantee. Consumers must be informed of this obligation.
- Online national repair platform: Each Member State is required to establish an onlinenational repair platform, facilitating consumers in finding and comparing repair services or refurbished goods.
- Repair Information Form: A mandatory Repair Information Form accompanies products covered by the right to repair, enhancing transparency and consumer awareness.
- Voluntary European quality standard for repair services: The proposal refers to the development of a voluntary European quality standard for repair services to build consumer trust in repair services.
Changes proposed by IMCO
On 25 October, IMCO solidified its stance on the proposed measures aimed at bolstering consumers’ right to repair. The amendments introduce the following additional incentives for consumers to opt for repair services:
- Extended legal guarantee after repair: The legal guarantee is extended by one year after the first repair, providing consumers with additional protection.
- Exceptions to the repair obligation: Sellers are exempt from repair obligations if repairing is more expensive than replacement, impossible, or inconvenient for the consumer.
- Repair Information Form: Repairers may provide key information about repair services. This is voluntary, so they would not be required to provide this form.
- Longer access to spare parts: Access to all spare parts for specified products is ensured for independent repairers, refurbishers and end-users for at least the expected product lifespan. In addition, practices impeding repair are prohibited to ensure access to spare parts for independent repairers.
- Measures by Member States: IMCO wants Member States to promote repair through financial incentives, such as vouchers or national repair funds. In addition, Member States also need to take appropriate steps to raise awareness of the online platform for repair.
- Online platform with map feature: The online repair platform features a map-based function and cross-border services, enhancing accessibility and providing more repair options for consumers.
Recommendations by ECC-Net
In June 2023, ECC-Net published a comprehensive position paper in response to the European Commission’s Right to Repair proposal. The paper provides an insightful overview of the measures that ECC-Net advocates for inclusion in the new directive. This includes, but is not limited to, the following recommendations:
- Financial Incentives for repairs: ECC-Net recommends financial incentives for repairs, aligning with the amended proposal's emphasis on promoting repair culture.
- Temporary replacements: ECC-Net suggests temporary replacements for consumers while their products are being repaired, providing practical solutions.
- Detailed repair information: The proposal addresses ECC-Net's call for detailed repair information, enhancing transparency and consumer understanding.
- English on online platforms: ECC-Net emphasises the need to address the availability of English information on online national repair platforms, considering the cross-border nature of the European Union. Access to English information helps consumers to find repair services more easily if they are from another EU country.
By outlining these key elements, ECC-Net aims to influence the development of the new directive in a way that supports sustainable consumer practices and a more robust right to repair framework. Although the proposal includes many of our recommendations, ECC-Net believes that it is important to further regulate the reparability within the legal guarantee period and the extension of this period after a product has been repaired. In addition, ECC-Net would like to see a deadline for repairs as this would prevent unreasonably long waiting times for consumers to use their product again.
Next steps
The Right to Repair Proposal, with IMCO's amendments, corresponds to most of the ECC-Net's recommendations and is a comprehensive approach towards sustainable consumption. If adopted, these measures have the potential to extend product lifespans, reduce waste, and contribute to a more environmentally friendly approach.
On 22 November, the Council adopted its position on the proposed directive. In the following weeks, there will be negotiations on the final text. These negotiations will determine the practical impact of these regulations on promoting a repair culture in the European Union.