‘Right to repair’: S&Ds extend consumers’ rights whilst protecting the environment

Today, the European Parliament are votingon new rules that promote consumers' right to repair.

This is a victory for the Socialists and Democrats who, as leading negotiators, have shown their commitment to extendingconsumers' rights whilst protecting the environment.

Under the new rules, the scope of the right to repair will be widened after the expiry of the minimum guarantee period; there will be an extension of the legal guarantee by twelve months in cases of repair; and member states will have to establish incentives, such as repair vouchers or national repair funds.

René Repasi, S&D MEP and EP rapporteur for the common rules promoting the repair of goods, said:

"Every year, the premature replacement of goods represents a loss of up to €12 billion in consumers' pockets and the creation of 35 million tonnes of waste, only because we tend to replace our electronic devices, instead of repairing them. We can no longer afford to livein a throwaway society. It is simply not sustainable.

"This new law is good news for all consumers across Europe. It establishes a new legal right for the repair of their products - from vacuum cleaners to smartphones and washing machines. In the event of a defect during the legal guarantee periods, consumers choosing repair will be rewarded with an additional minimum twelve-month guarantee period. During that period, sellers will be liable for any defects.

"With the right to repair, we will bolster repair shops to offer competitive and affordable repair. To this aim, the S&D Group fought to ensure that independent repairers and consumers would have access to spare parts as well as tools at a reasonable cost, which do not deter repair. More competition will drive down repair costs and encourage consumers across Europe to embrace the repair culture.

"With the right to repair, we are promoting a more sustainable consumption of goods, protectingthe environment and savingconsumers' money."

Note to editor:

Follow the EP press conferenceby MEP René Repasi, S&D Member and EP rapporteur on common rules promoting the repair of goods, today at 14:30.