EU Commission plans to put forward a legislative proposal on the right to repair

On 23 March, the European Commission proposed a directive on “common rules promoting the repair of goods”.  The directive largely applies to household appliances, displays, and data storage products, although this list can be extended through delegated acts.

As part of the Circular Economy Action Plan, this directive complements initiatives such as the regulation on Ecodesign for sustainable products or the directive empowering consumers for the green transition.

With its proposal, the EU Commission proposes giving consumers the right to have their product repaired. The directive thus incentivises more sustainable actions along the value chain. It ultimately aims to encourage more consumers to bring their products for repair and for producers to make this possible through smarter design and repair networks.

Through the new directive, producers are obliged to repair broken goods on consumers’ request – for free or at a price. The repair does not need to be carried out by the producer itself (it can be done by an independent repairer), although the producer must ensure that enough spare parts and tools are available.

The Commission’s proposal starts the legislative procedure. Parliament and Council will now convene on the subject. Once negotiations are concluded, Member States will have 24 months to transpose the final text into national law.

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