EU Council adopts Right-to-Repair directive
May 31, 2024
New EU directive empowers consumers to repair, boosting sustainability and creating quality jobs across Europe.
In the last step in the legislative process, the EU Council has adopted the Right to Repair Directive (R2R). This directive promotes the repair of broken or defective goods and makes it easier for consumers to seek repair instead of replacement. R2R should also make repair services more accessible, transparent, and attractive.
The directive adopted today enshrines a new right for consumers: the right to have defective products repaired in an easier, cheaper, and faster way. It also gives manufacturers the incentive to make products that last longer and can be repaired, reused, and recycled. Finally, it makes repairing a more attractive economic activity that can create Europe-based quality jobs. “All economic actors win, and so does the environment,” stated the Belgian State Secretary for the Budget and Consumer Protection, Alexia Bertrand.
R2R will create a set of tools and incentives to make repair more attractive for consumers, including requiring manufacturers to repair products which are technically repairable under EU law; the availability of a voluntary repair form with clear information about the repair process (deadlines, prices, etc.); a European online platform where consumers can easily find repair services; and the extension of the legal guarantee by 12 months if consumers choose repair instead of replacement.
From the perspective of a small remanufacturer, printer repairs have been a challenge because the unavailability of specific components hindered our ability to offer comprehensive repair services. However, with the new right-to-repair directive, access to spare parts is set to improve, opening up opportunities to expand our services to include printer repairs and refurbishment.
The legislative act has been adopted following the Council’s approval, and once signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the directive will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication. Member states will have 24 months from the entry into force to transpose the directive into national law.
Categories : World Focus
Tags : Directive EU Legislation Remanufacturing Repair Reuse Right to Repair Sustainability
