On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules promoting the repair of goods and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394, Directives (EU) 2019/771 and (EU) 2020/1828
ENVI-AD-751885
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety · Rapporteur: Sunčana Glavak
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The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety gives its opinion on the proposed directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods, asking the lead committee to take its amendments into account.¶ It supports the right to repair and wants repair made easier, more convenient and cheaper, with less waste and a stronger repair sector.¶ It proposes duties on producers to repair goods covered by reparability requirements, access to spare parts and repair information at reasonable and non-discriminatory prices, and a European Repair Information Form free of charge from producers.¶¶¶ It wants each member state to have an online repair platform and a national internet portal, awareness campaigns, and possible financial and fiscal incentives for repair.¶¶¶ It also calls for promoting refurbished goods, supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and repair training, and an evaluation of the directive by the Commission.¶¶
Committee position. The committee supports the right to repair and proposes amendments to strengthen it outside the legal guarantee, focusing on spare parts availability and price transparency, producer repair obligations, online platforms and portals, awareness campaigns, incentives and support for small businesses.¶¶¶
Key points
- The directive should promote and strengthen the right to repair goods and the accessibility of the repair sector, with high consumer and environmental protection and increased circularity.¶
- Consumers should be able to seek quality and affordable repair from the provider of their choice, and member states should ban practices by producers that prevent consumers from exercising the right to repair.¶
- Producers must repair, for free or against a reasonable and non-discriminatory price, goods covered by reparability requirements in Union legal acts listed in Annex II, and may offer a replacement or refurbished good during the repair.¶
- Producers must not refuse repair solely because a device was previously repaired by an independent or professional repairer or with non-original but compatible spare parts, and must not impose contractual, hardware or software limits on such repairs.¶
- Producers must give independent and professional repairers, refurbishers and, where appropriate, end-users access to spare parts, repair information, instructions and tools at a reasonable and non-discriminatory price.¶
- Producers obliged to repair must provide the European Repair Information Form as soon as possible and no later than 14 calendar days after the consumer's request, free of charge.¶
- Repairers may charge only necessary, reasonable and non-discriminatory costs for the form where physical inspection is needed, and must not alter the conditions of repair for at least 30 calendar days.¶¶
- Member states must ensure at least one online platform exists to find repairers and repair community initiatives such as repair cafés, with search functions, ratings and free use for consumers and repairers.¶¶¶
- Member states must establish a machine-readable national internet portal giving free access to the online platform and information on repair, consumers' legal rights and dispute resolution bodies.¶
- Member states, local and regional authorities and the Commission must run targeted awareness campaigns so consumers know about the platform and portal, including at the point of sale.¶
- Member states may take fiscal and financial incentives to support affordable repair, must help micro, small and medium-sized enterprises apply the rules, and must support repair training.¶
- The Commission must evaluate the directive by four years after entry into force and report to Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.¶
Who is affected
- Consumers: gain easier, cheaper repair, information on repair services and access to online platforms and portals.¶¶
- Producers: face obligations to repair goods covered by reparability requirements and to give access to spare parts and repair information.¶¶
- Independent and professional repairers: gain access to spare parts, repair information and tools at reasonable and non-discriminatory prices.
- Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises: receive support measures to apply the directive's requirements.¶
- Member states: must set up online platforms and national portals, run awareness campaigns and may offer repair incentives.¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- At least 30 calendar days: period during which repairers must not alter the conditions of repair in the European Repair Information Form.¶
- No later than 14 calendar days after the consumer's request: deadline for producers obliged to repair to provide the European Repair Information Form.¶
- 12 months after entry into force of this Directive: deadline for member states to communicate the link of existing online platforms and portals to the Commission.¶
- Within one month of their launch: deadline for member states to communicate the link of every new online platform for repair.
- 3 years after entry into force: deadline for the Commission to review and assess the effectiveness of member states' measures promoting repair.¶
- 4 years after the entry into force of this Directive: deadline for the Commission to evaluate the directive.¶
- Within one year: deadline for the Commission to adopt a delegated act when a new good is covered by a Union reparability requirement.¶