According to EU plans, manufacturers should repair devices more often instead of replacing them.
(Photo: dpa)
Brussels The EU Commission has high hopes for its plan to introduce a right to repairs. It should save consumers in the EU 176.5 billion euros within 15 years. In the same period, 18.4 million tons of CO2 are to be saved and 35 million tons of waste annually. At least that’s what it says in a legislative proposal by the Commission, which the European Parliament and the Council of the EU Member States must now decide on.
In return for these savings, consumers should in future be able to demand that a device be repaired instead of replaced if it breaks before the end of the warranty period. Even after the warranty has expired, the manufacturers should offer repairs, whereby the consumers then have to pay for them.
The law should apply to many consumer products, such as washing machines, tumble dryers, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, smartphones and tablets. However, the manufacturer can refuse a repair if it is more expensive than a new product. This is typically the case with inexpensive devices.
At the same time, online platforms are to be created through which independent repair shops can offer their services. A uniform repair form should make it as easy as possible to obtain comparable offers from different repair providers.
EU Commissioner Didier Reynders spoke of the “final piece of the puzzle” on the right to repair after last year proposing an amendment to the Ecodesign Directive that would lead to more easily repairable products.
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Environmental protection organizations had hoped for far more far-reaching proposals. They demand that manufacturers offer replacement parts at low prices, as well as repair manuals and diagnostic tools. “We are still a long way from a universal right to repair,” declared the Right to Repair campaign.
burden on small businesses
The Greens also called for a repair index that shows customers when they buy how realistic a repair is. MEP Anna Cavazzini also called for the legal guarantee to be extended to cover the expected lifetime of a product.
Manufacturers don’t expect a major impact on their business. “Basically, the law only describes what is already in practice,” said Werner Scholz, managing director of the trade association for large electrical household appliances. “Even today, 95 percent of defective devices are repaired.” He doubts that the trend towards more repairs will be significantly strengthened.
He was skeptical about the planned online platforms and forms: “The EU must be careful not to create any new bureaucracy where it is not necessary,” he said.
The Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce nevertheless expects the economy to be burdened: “Many companies are currently not operationally able to put the right to repairs into practice,” said President Peter Adrian. The EU should focus more on voluntariness and on incentives for companies.
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