Report exposes EU gaps in repair rights
October 23, 2024
Right to Repair Europe finds patchy enforcement and product coverage in EU policies.
A new report published by Right to Repair Europe, a coalition representing over 170 organisations including environmental NGOs, repair businesses, and community groups, has revealed significant gaps in the EU’s repair policies, despite recent legislative efforts. While some progress has been made, the coalition highlights that the “Right to Repair” is far from a reality across many key product categories.
The report, published in October 2024, outlines how current EU regulations, such as the Ecodesign directives, only cover a small range of products, including washing machines, TVs, and smartphones. Many everyday items, like small kitchen appliances and personal electronics, are not subject to any repairability requirements.
Key barriers include the high cost of spare parts and repair services, as well as anti-repair practices like parts pairing, where manufacturers limit the ability to use third-party components. The report criticizes the EU for failing to set price guidelines for spare parts and for not making repairability scores mandatory across all product categories.
Right to Repair Europe calls for stronger policies to cover a broader range of products and ensure affordable and accessible repair options for consumers. The report is seen as a call to action for the EU to address these shortcomings in its upcoming sustainability initiatives.
The full report is available here.
Meanwhile, the upcoming Imaging Equipment Ecodesign legislation, which is expected to set new standards for printers and consumables, plus other imaging devices, may be under threat as well. The Right to Repair could improve repairability across the sector and avoid devices and consumables being discarded after minimal use. But The Recycler understands there is push back on this from some OEMs who want to only provide parts for larger devices.
Categories : World Focus
