The European Commission Have adopted a new proposal for common rules to encourage the repair of electronic equipment. This should make it easier and cheaper to repair devices instead of replacing them, as the commission announced. Refurbed.at basically sees the move as the right signal, but the proposal in its current form unfortunately falls short of expectations, as the platform for remanufactured products says.
In recent decades, replacement of defective products has often been preferred to repair, and consumers have not been given sufficient incentives to have the goods in question repaired once the legal guarantee has expired, the EU Commission has criticized. The new proposal aims to make it easier and cheaper for consumers to have goods repaired instead of having them replaced. “In addition, higher demand will boost the repair sector and at the same time create incentives for manufacturers and sellers to develop more sustainable business models,” writes the EU Commission and continues: “The proposal will ensure

Five to ten years repairability
Customers should be able to request that manufacturing companies repair products that are technically repairable under EU law for a period of five to ten years . But of course there are no rules without exceptions at the European Commission either. This means that sellers are obliged to repair within the warranty period, “unless it is more expensive than an exchange,” it says.elektro.at HOME


EDITOR’S CHOICE
positive signal
EU Commission: Is there a right to repairs?
BACKGROUND | Stefanie Bruckbauer | 03/23/2023

The European Commission yesterday adopted a new proposal for common rules to encourage the repair of electronic equipment. This should make it easier and cheaper to repair devices instead of replacing them, as the commission announced. Refurbed.at basically sees the move as the right signal, but the proposal in its current form unfortunately falls short of expectations, as the platform for remanufactured products says.
In recent decades, replacement of defective products has often been preferred to repair, and consumers have not been given sufficient incentives to have the goods in question repaired once the legal guarantee has expired, the EU Commission has criticized. The new proposal aims to make it easier and cheaper for consumers to have goods repaired instead of having them replaced. “In addition, higher demand will boost the repair sector and at the same time create incentives for manufacturers and sellers to develop more sustainable business models,” writes the EU Commission and continues: “The proposal will ensure

Five to ten years repairability
Customers should be able to request that manufacturing companies repair products that are technically repairable under EU law for a period of five to ten years . But of course there are no rules without exceptions at the European Commission either. This means that sellers are obliged to repair within the warranty period, “unless it is more expensive than an exchange,” it says.

Companies should also provide information about which products they have to repair themselves. And: Citizens should be able to find out about repair services and points of sale for outdated goods on national mediation platforms.

The European Parliament and the EU states must now discuss the proposals and negotiate a compromise on the proposals. It may be some time before consumers really benefit from the project.

By the way: Of course, the environment should also be relieved by the project. Fewer discarded products naturally result in less waste and less material used in manufacturing. As a result, there are also fewer greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that 18.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, 1.8 million tons of resources and 3 million tons of waste will be saved over 15 years.

Discarded products are often still usable goods that can be repaired, but are often thrown away prematurely, resulting in 35 million tonnes of waste, 30 million tonnes of wasted resources and 261 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU every year, according to the EU Commission. In addition, the loss consumers incur by choosing replacement over repair is estimated at nearly €12 billion per year.

Refurbed: “Basically a positive signal”
The online marketplace refurbed.at (which, according to its own statements, is committed to the development of a long-term circular economy) considers the initiative to be a “positive signal” for the development towards a sustainable circular economy.

Kilian Kaminski , co-founder of refurbed says: “The current linear model of production, consumption and waste processing is not sustainable – many of the resources we depend on are finite. Their exploitation brings us to the limits of our planet and destroys our livelihoods. To counteract this, the transition to a circular economic model, the circular economy, is necessary. The ‘right to repair’ is an essential milestone for this project. Because the repair and reuse of devices should not just be an option, but the new norm at European level. With a longer service life, fewer resources are used and fewer emissions are emitted.”Refurbed therefore calls for other elements to be considered in addition to the aspects of the proposal:

Consumers need the right information to make an informed purchasing decision. One possibility can be an EU repair score, which informs buyers whether a product can be repaired, how easy it is and what the costs are.
The repair sector is underdeveloped because it has never been a priority and this needs to change. Making repair the norm requires financial incentives that make repair affordable. This can be achieved through extended producer responsibility.
The principle of “repair before replacement” must be enshrined in law. The current proposal is not strong enough here. Products must be designed to be repairable – as long as manufacturers are allowed to replace damaged products when it is cheaper than repairing them, they will not adjust the design of their products. If repair is not possible, replacement should be made with a remanufactured item.