Circular economy: new EU rules on right to repair

The Council has today adopted a directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the right-to-repair (or R2R) directive. This legislation will make it easier for consumers to seek repair instead of replacement and repair services will become more accessible, transparent and attractive. The adoption of the directive is the last step in the legislative decision-making process.

Repair made easier

The directive adopted today creates a set of tools and incentives to make repair more attractive for consumers. These include requiring manufacturers to repair products which are technically repairable under EU law; the availability of a voluntary repair form with clear information about the repair process (deadlines, prices, etc.); a European online platform where consumers can easily find repair services and the extension of the legal guarantee with 12 months if consumers choose repair instead of replacement.

The list of repairable products can be increased in the future: whenever the Commission introduces new reparability requirements for certain products, these will be added to the R2R directive.

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Next steps

Following the Council’s approval today, the legislative act has been adopted. After being signed by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the directive will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force on the 20th day following its publication. Member states will have 24 months from the entry into force to transpose the directive into national law.

Background

This proposal was presented by the Commission on 22 March 2023 and forms part of the New Consumer Agenda and the Circular Economy Action Plan. It complements other recent EU legislation to promote sustainable consumption, such as the ecodesign for sustainable products regulation (which will promote the production of repairable products) and the directive on empowering consumers for the green transition (which will enable consumers to make better-informed purchasing decisions at the point of sale).

More information: Council of the EU