The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg on Tuesday 21 November, came out very clearly in favour of future common rules to promote an effective and attractive right to repair defective products in the EU, including after the two-year legal guarantee.
By 590 votes to 15, with 15 abstentions, it adopted the report by René Repasi (S&D, German) as amended by Parliament’s Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) (see EUROPE 13279/12). In doing so, it set out its negotiating position on a proposed ‘European Green Deal’ directive, presented in March (see EUROPE 13147/7).
Under the terms of the legal guarantee, sellers will be obliged to give priority to repair if the cost is less than or equal to replacing the goods, unless repair is not feasible or is unsuitable for the consumer.
Consumers will have the right to request repairs to products such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners, smartphones and bicycles after the expiry of the warranty, and manufacturers will offer them replacement appliances on loan for the duration of the repair, which must be carried out within a reasonable period of time. If a product proves impossible to repair, a reconditioned product may be offered instead.
Independent repairers, refurbishers and end-users will have access to all spare parts and information at a reasonable cost throughout the life of a product.
“This Assembly has always supported consumers’ right to repair and we can finally say that we are responding directly to people’ demands. People want to expand the lifespan of their devices, but it is often too costly or difficult”, commented Mr Repasi, delighted with the result of the vote.
Negotiations with the EU Council can begin once the latter has adopted its position, possibly on 7 December. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)