The European Parliament voted on Wednesday 25 November in favour of a sustainable single market that guarantees EU consumers a systematic right to repair, access to spare parts as quickly and cheaply as possible, and clear and harmonised information on the durability of products, with compulsory labelling.
Adopted the day after the vote on the amendments (see EUROPE 12608/5), the non-legislative resolution was adopted by 395 votes to 94 with 207 abstentions.
Its purpose is to recommend the consumer be enabled as a player in the sustainability advocated by the European Green Deal and its Action Plan for Circular Economy.
According to its rapporteur, David Cormand (Greens/EFA, France), Parliament is also calling for measures to put premature obsolescence on the blacklist of unfair commercial practices and to reduce waste.
It further advocates applying sustainability criteria to public procurement and calls for responsible advertising encouraging businesses and consumers to make sustainable choices (see EUROPE 12590/7).
“By adopting this report, Parliament is asserting an unprecedented ambition in its desire to change rules that today are based on waste, the unlimited exploitation of resources and the over-consumption of low-quality products that penalise consumers”, Mr Cormand was pleased to say. He also invited the Commission to “draw on it for inspiration for the new consumer agenda it has just launched”.
During the debate, Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders thanked the MEPs “for their commitment to sustainable development” and said he shared the ambition of a transition towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient economy, as reflected in the 2nd Action Plan for Circular Economy.
He indicated that the Commission will present an initiative “to improve consumer information and facilitate consumer choice” in 2021 and to limit ‘greenwashing’ with a view to increasing the credibility of green credentials. A revision of the Sales Directive is also envisaged. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)