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EU Strikes Deal on Right to Repair Regulations,
Give Customers an Extra 12 Month Warranty After Repairs.
The European Union has reached a landmark deal on new regulations that will strengthen consumers’ right to repair their products and reduce electronic waste.The deal was reached between the European Parliament and the Council on February 4, 2024, and is expected to be finalized in 2024. It will introduce a new ‘right to repair’ for consumers, both within and beyond the legal guarantee, which will make it easier and more cost-effective for them to repair products instead of simply replacing them with new ones.
The deal will also require manufacturers to make spare parts and tools available for a reasonable price and to remove any contractual, hardware or software related barriers to repair, such as impeding the use of second-hand, compatible, and 3D-printed spare parts by independent repairers.
Additionally, the deal will extend the seller’s liability period by 12 months from the moment when the product is brought into conformity after a repair, and give consumers more options for borrowing, replacing, or selling defective products.
The deal will cover common household products, such as tablets, smartphones, washing machines, dishwashers, etc., and leave the possibility of adding more items over time.
The deal aims to promote a circular economy, reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions, and save consumers money and resources. According to the European Commission, more than 50% of consumers would prefer to repair their devices rather than buy new ones, but they are often discouraged by the high costs or lack of access to repair services.
The deal is part of the EU’s wider efforts to implement the European Green Deal, which sets the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The deal also aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, which call for responsible consumption and production.
The deal has been welcomed by environmental groups, consumer organizations and repair activists, who have been campaigning for the right to repair for years. They hope that the deal will set a global standard and inspire other countries to follow suit.
However, the deal has also faced some opposition from the industry lobby, which argues that the right to repair could compromise the safety, security, and performance of their products, and that it could harm their innovation and competitiveness.
The deal will now have to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council before it becomes law. The exact date of implementation is not yet known, but it is expected to be sometime in 2024.
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