Right-to-Repair Directive

The Right to Repair Directive is a significant piece of legislation adopted by the European Union (EU) to promote sustainability by encouraging the repair and reuse of consumer goods. Officially known as Directive 2024/1799, it was adopted on May 30, 2024, and aims to extend the lifespan of products, reduce waste, and bolster the repair sector.

Key Objectives:
1/ Enhancing Repair Accessibility: The directive mandates that manufacturers provide timely and cost-effective repair services for their products, ensuring consumers can easily access repair options.
2/ Extending Product Lifespan: By facilitating repairs, the directive aims to prolong the life of consumer goods, thereby reducing the need for replacements and minimizing waste.
3/ Consumer Awareness: Manufacturers are required to inform consumers about their rights to repair, promoting a culture of repair over replacement.

Key Provisions:
-> Obligation to Repair: Manufacturers must offer repair services for their products, even after the warranty period has expired, unless the repair is factually or legally impossible.
-> Extension of Legal Guarantee: Goods repaired under the warranty will benefit from an additional one-year extension of the legal guarantee, further incentivizing consumers to choose repair over replacement.
-> Repairability as a Consumer Expectation: The directive includes "repairability" as a factor for assessing the reasonable expectations of consumers under the Sale of Goods Directive, encouraging manufacturers to design products that are easier to repair.

Implementation Timeline:
Adoption Date: The directive was adopted on May 30, 2024.
Transposition into National Law: Member states have 24 months to incorporate the directive into their national laws, with compliance expected by the second half of 2026.

🔗 EP, EC
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Categories
Circular EconomyCircular DesignCustomer & Product ResponsibilityLife Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Legislation instrument
Directive
Pillars
EnvironmentalGovernance
Legislation status
In Force
Applicable area
EU
Directive (EU) 2024/1799

Timeline

  • Proposed
    Mar 22, 2023
  • Approved
    Apr 23, 2024
  • Adopted
    May 30, 2024
  • Published
    Jul 10, 2024
  • In Force
    Jul 30, 2024
  • In Application
    Jul 31, 2026
-> Member States must transpose the directive into national law by July 30, 2026.
-> Full compliance with the directive is expected to start from July 31, 2026.
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