Reparability & Right to Repair

🌱 What is currently happening in the EU? The European Commission set out a proposal on common rules to promote the repair of consumer goods in March 2023. On 1 February 2024, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional political agreement on the proposal. 🌱 How will the new rules fa

🌱 What does the regulation entail? The Energy Labelling Regulation aims to inform consumers on “energy efficiency using a range of labelling tools”. Through a draft supplement to the Energy Labelling Regulation from 16 June 2023, the European Commission now plans to mandate the display of reparabil

🌱 What is the right to repair? The necessity for “repair is closely related to product durability and obsolescence”. If a product part malfunctions or the entire product reaches the end of its lifetime more quickly, this generates more waste and comes with a cost to consumers. The right to repair t

🌱 What is the impact of discarding products? A study from the European Commission showed that “77% of EU citizens would prefer repairs to purchasing new products”. Notably, according to the EU, “[c]onsumers who choose to replace rather than repair [their products] lose around 12 billion euros per y

🌱 What are reparability indexes? The reparability score of a product indicates how easy it is to repair. It is typically measured on a scale from 0 to 10 and displayed on or next to the product. The indexes are used to inform consumers, counter planned obsolescence and premature disposal, and to mo