The Right to Repair Europe coalition has stepped up pressure with a new white paper calling for legally binding commitments from manufacturers on spare part pricing.
Published this month, the paper outlines two key proposals: mandatory pre-tax price declarations for spare parts and the integration of price thresholds into Europe’s upcoming repairability scoring system.
The group warns that inflated spare part prices—often exceeding the cost of a new product—are making repair economically irrational for consumers. The paper cites industry research showing most people are unwilling to pay more than 30% of a product’s original price for repairs, meaning spare parts must generally remain below 15 to 20% to make professional repair services viable.
Currently, EU laws such as the Common Rules for Repair and the Batteries Regulation refer vaguely to “reasonable pricing” without setting enforceable criteria. The coalition argues this lack of clarity threatens to fragment the Single Market and render the right to repair ineffective.
The white paper advocates a “limiting factor” approach to scoring: if any spare part breaches the 30% cost threshold, the product’s repairability rating would be penalised.
Read the white paper here.
