The European Parliament has passed a resolution to recognize the customer’s right to repair products, with a vote of 584-3-14. The key point is that manufacturers must have a plan to support repair and encourage customers to choose repair options over replacing products.
This new regulation sets a broad framework for product manufacturers to support repairs within a reasonable timeframe, at a reasonable cost, and extend warranty coverage by 1 year after repair, all aimed at giving customers more repair options. The regulation also covers post-warranty repairs for products like washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and smartphones.
Another aspect of this regulation is that repair costs must not be prohibitive, enabling customers to choose repair over replacement. Manufacturers are also prohibited from using techniques to prevent repair through hardware and software restrictions, second-hand parts, or components that cannot be replaced.
The next step is to certify this law and implement it within the next 24 months. However, the Right to Repair advocacy groups in Europe have expressed concerns about some ambiguities in the details, such as the interpretation of reasonable repair costs and the safety argument that may restrict the use of third-party components. They suggest that the regulation should provide clearer guidance.
TLDR: The European Parliament has approved a resolution recognizing the right to repair products, emphasizing manufacturers’ obligations to support repair options and providing customers with more choices beyond buying new products.
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