Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on common rules promoting the repair of goods

What it is

to lay down uniform rules promoting the repair of goods, with a view to contributing to the proper functioning of the internal market, while providing for a high level of consumer and environmental protection. PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: when consumer products become defective, consumers often do not seek to repair them, but discard them prematurely, even though they could be repaired and used for longer. This happens under the legal guarantee of the Sale of Goods Directive (SGD) ( Directive (EU) 2019/771 ) when consumers choose replacement instead of repair, and outside the legal guarantee, when consumers are dissuaded from repair because of sub-optimal repair choices and conditions. In this context, the use of refurbished goods is also limited, leaving the potential for goods to be reused by different users untapped. The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection adopted the report by René REPASI (S&D, DE) 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. The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: The report stated that the producer may offer the consumer a replacement good, including refurbished goods, for the duration of the repair. Producers should not, however: - refuse the repair of a device solely on the grounds that it has previously been repaired by an independent or professional repairer or where a previous repair has been made using non-original but compatible spare parts and shall not implement any contractual, hardware or software limits to repairs of their goods by independent or professional repairers, - be obliged to repair such goods where repair is factually or legally impossible. Producers should make available on their websites information related to repair, such as estimates of repair prices and prices of spare parts . Producers should for at least the expected lifetime of the product ensure that independent and professional repairers, refurbishers, and when appropriate end-users, have access to spare parts , including original parts or parts derived from the dismantling of non-repairable products. Where spare parts are no longer made available, the producer, with the exception of SMEs, shall, where relevant, provide in an electronic format, following a justified request outlining the specific use of the information and taking into account the need to safeguard product safety, the necessary information and instructions for 3D printing of spare parts . Replacements should be carried out free of charge and within a reasonable period of time. Online platform for repair and goods subject to refurbishment Member States should ensure that at least one online platform exists for their territory that…

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