In a small win for right-to-repair advocates, EU officials have agreed to a provisional law that would mandate 12 months of additional warranty coverage following repairs on certain products.
The legislation aims to make fixing devices more affordable and accessible for European consumers. Beyond warranty extensions, measures would also require manufacturers to provide spare parts at reasonable prices and support the use of aftermarket components.
Importantly, the rules initially apply only to a limited set of products falling under existing eco-design regulations. So while campaigners celebrate the progress, they urge more extensive right-to-repair protections in the next round of EU policymaking.
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Other tentative wins for repairability include standardized regional repair information forms and a central EU portal detailing available services. Officials will also encourage individual states to fund voucher programs to further lower repair costs.
However, the limited scope and rather modest incentives leave some questioning if the legislation goes far enough. The coalition of repair advocates stresses that more device categories need comprehensive right-to-repair safeguards to fully transform aftermarket economies.
So this marks just an early step in the marathon effort to transform repairability legislation. Weary supporters welcome the direction while gearing up to press for much bolder systemic reform when political conditions hopefully align.