Brussels, 17/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has come out in favour of a system of labelling that guarantees a minimum product lifetime.
For the very first time, an EU institution has highlighted a key issue for sustainability-obsessed Europe: the planned obsolescence of widely consumed products. On 17 October, the ESC adopted an opinion drafted by Thierry Libaert (Group III, France), aided by his fellow-countryman Jean-Pierre Haber of the EESC's consultative commission on industrial change, on a practice that developed in the 1930s to boost demand during the Great Depression.
It is a practice that has now become a recognised commercial strategy and is widespread: producers deliberately design and manufacture goods to wear out prematurely (or even to cease to work shortly after the guarantee expires) or to become less desirable very quickly. The aim is to force consumers to buy new goods and services marketed to replace the older ones. It is a strategy that guarantees long-term sales volumes, reducing the length of time between repeat purchases. It is also a strategy that could be called “industrial dictatorship” Haber said. “An excess” according to EESC President Henri Malosse.
Planned obsolescence is damaging on all levels, in the view of the EESC. In addition to the environmental and public health menaces it implies, with waste of energy and resources and the accumulation of waste and damaging pollution (resources consumed in Europe have increased by 50% in 30n years, now equivalent to 43 kilos of resources per person per day), it brings little or nothing in terms of employment. . “Most of these products are manufactured outside Europe, by underpaid workers. If we threw away less, we would have to repair more, creating thousands of jobs closer to home”, Haber states. From a social point of view, planned obsolescence promotes buying on credit and, thus, household indebtedness. Finally, at the cultural level, this obsolescence undermines consumers' confidence in industry.
The EESC “would like to see a total ban on products with built-in defects designed to end the product's life”, concludes rapporteur Libaert, calling for companies to make goods easier to repair through the supply of replacement parts, for example. Ideally, the Committee proposes a labelling system that would guarantee a minimum product lifetime - at present this is not a legal requirement. In addition to this system which would require manufacturers to do more in terms of research to guarantee the lifetime of a product, the EESC says manufacturers should also cover the cost of recycling if their goods have an expected lifetime of less than five years.
Research and development (R&D) is another important factor that could influence planned obsolescence, promoting eco-design based on sustainable use of resources, a circular economy with recycling throughout the life cycle and nothing being wasted, and a functional approach putting the emphasis on use of a product rather than ownership of it, says Libaert's opinion.
Consumers should be better informed on the likely lifetime of an object in order to make more enlightened choices. This will require action by member states to encourage responsible consumption, for example by making school pupils aware of the environmental consequences of their purchases.
The EESC is planning to hold a round table in 2014 bringing together all the stakeholders (industry, distribution, finance, consumers associations and unions) across all the sectors. At the same time, a forum for citizens is planned. The Commission is invited to carry out research into the social and economic impact of planned obsolescence. (EH/transl.fl)