The Council and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the right to repair (or R2R) directive.
The legislation will make it easier for consumers to request repair rather than replacement, making access to repair services simpler, quicker, transparent and more attractive.
The reform will apply to all products with repair requirements under EU law.
It establishes the repair obligation for manufacturers of goods with repair requirements, establishes a European information module that provides consumers with key repair service data and unifies national repair information platforms into a European online platform.
Among the new rights for European consumers will come the possibility to ask manufacturers to repair technically repairable products, such as washing machines, vacuum cleaners or mobile phones.
There will be a European repair information form that repairers can offer to consumers, with clear information such as repair conditions, repair times, prices, replacement products.
A European online repair platform is planned to facilitate meetings between consumers and repairers and a 12-month extension of the seller's liability period after a product has been repaired.
The provisional agreement reached today by the Council and Parliament maintains the consumer's right to choose between repair and replacement when a product is broken or defective.
Compared to the proposal on the directive, some measures have been introduced on the scope of application, the obligation to repair, the content of the information form and the online platform, explains a note from the European Chamber.
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