By Thea Pieridou
Press Officer of the European Parliament Office in Cyprus
What happens when the toaster is broken, and the warranty has already expired? Could it be repaired instead of replaced?
The European Parliament (EP) has been, for more than a decade, steadfast in its support for the consumer’s right to repair, seeing that as a key step in moving to a circular economy with the ultimate goal of achieving climate neutrality while saving money, energy, and resources. The European Commission has announced that it is considering a legislative proposal on the right to repair, within the third quarter of 2022.
Four benefits of the right to repair:
• According to a Eurobarometer survey, 77% of EU consumers would prefer to have their products and appliances repaired instead of buying new ones. But they end up replacing them or throwing them in the trash because the cost of repairing them is too high or because they have nowhere to go.
• Another barrier to sustainable consumption is planned obsolescence: some products are deliberately short-lived and, in some cases, their components are placed in such a way that they cannot be removed or replaced.
• Electronics are currently the fastest growing source of waste in the EU. In 2017, more than 3.5 million tonnes were collected and only 40% was recycled.
• Electronics repairs significantly benefit the environment, ensuring reduced resource utilization, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.
What should the right to repair include?
On April 7, the EP adopted its claims for the forthcoming European Commission proposal on the right to repair, with 509 votes in favor, 3 against and 13 abstentions. MEPs agreed that an effective right to repair should be about the life cycle of a product and consider product design, ethically proper production, standardization and consumer information, including marking of repairability and public procurement. It should promote the most efficient use of resources, reduce waste, and encourage the long-lasting use of products. MEPs want the products to be designed to last longer, to be repaired safely and to have parts removed easily. They believe that the right to repair should provide repairmen and consumers with free access to repair and maintenance information.
They also call for:
• Incentives for consumers to choose repair over replacement, such as extending warranties or disposing of a replacement device during repair
• Harmonized rules for information available to consumers at the point of sale, which should include "repair ratings", estimated service life, availability of spare parts and software updates, and repair services
• Possible intelligent labelling, such as QR codes or digital product passports.
For the European Parliament, the time has come to end the 'society of waste'.
