European Parliament and Council of the EU reach deal on ‘right to repair’ rules

Article summary

The European Parliament and Council of the EU have reached a political agreement on new rules for a ‘right to repair’ for consumers which will clarify the obligations for manufacturers and encourage consumers to extend a product’s lifecycle through repair within and beyond the legal guarantee. The new rules will create an obligation for manufacturers to repair common household products, make spare parts and tools available at a reasonable price. Manufacturers are also prohibited from using contractual clauses, hardware or software techniques to obstruct repairs. Consumers are to be informed about a manufacturer’s duty to repair and an online platform will be set up for consumers to easily find local repair shops, sellers of refurbished goods, buyers of defective items or community-led repair initiatives, such as repair cafes. EU Member States are to introduce at least one measure to promote repair. Once the European Parliament and Council of the EU...