Filenews 17 April 2022 - by Xenia Tourki
How many times in recent years have we reminisced about the time when devices had a long service life and were repaired relatively easily? How many of us can say that the tape recorder we bought in adolescence, still works, 20 or 30 years later? The so-called planned obsolescence of the products, especially electronics, that we consume, that is, their short lifespan, and the difficulty of repairing them in case of damage, has begun to annoy consumers and their pockets more and more, while the rate of their replacement significantly burdens the environment. The European Parliament has decided to take action to enable consumers to choose longer-life repairable products, which they believe will also have environmental benefits as it is part of the green, circular economy, but also economically for consumers themselves.
In early April, Parliament adopted its demands for the European Commission's forthcoming proposal on the right to repair scheduled for later in 2022, with 509 votes in favour, 3 against and 13 abstentions. MEPs agreed that an effective right to repair should be relevant to the life cycle of a product and take into account the design of the product, its ethical production, standardisation and consumer information, including labelling of reparability and public procurement. It should promote more efficient use of resources, reduce waste and encourage the extensive use of products.
MEPs want products to be designed to have a longer service life, to be safely repaired and for their parts to be easily removed. They believe that the right right to repair should provide repairers and consumers with free access to repair and maintenance information.
As regards digital devices, MEPs argue that software updates should be reversible and not lead to a reduced performance, for example, of 'smart' mobile devices. They must be available for a minimum period of time and consumers must be fully informed of the availability of updates at the time of purchase. Practices that unduly restrict the right to repair or lead to obsolescence could be considered as unfair commercial practices and prohibited under EU law.
MEPs also call for:
- Incentives for consumers to choose repair over replacement, such as extension of warranties or availability of a replacement device during the repair.
- Harmonised rules on the information available to consumers at the point of sale, which should include repair scores, estimated lifetime, availability of spare parts and software updates and repair services.
- Possible smart labeling, such as QR codes or digital product passports.
- Possible mechanism of co-responsibility of the manufacturer - seller for the non-conformity of products.
- Include durability and repair requirements in a future Ecodesign Directive.
However, the reactions of the manufacturers themselves are also interesting. Some companies have willingly stated that they will respond, but others are reacting. In any case, however, the legislative train that has begun cannot be stopped, as the right to repair has benefits for both consumers and the environment.
European consumers' demand
The European Parliament has been in favour of improving consumers' right to repair for more than a decade and has adopted two resolutions containing a number of important proposals to make repairs systematic, cost-effective and attractive. According to a survey by this House, 79% of European Union citizens believe that manufacturers should be obliged to facilitate the repair of digital devices or the replacement of their individual components, while 77% would prefer to repair their devices rather than buy new ones. E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, with more than 53 million tons discarded in 2019. Also, eight out of ten EU citizens, according to a survey, say that manufacturers should be obliged to facilitate the repair of digital devices or the replacement of their individual components instead of entirely replacement.
MEPs believe that repair could in many cases be a more efficient and climate-neutral solution. They point out that consumers usually choose replacement instead of repair, which may be due to the high cost of repairs and stress that replacing the product should remain an alternative if the consumer and the seller agree, as repairing can be too time-consuming.
Large waste stream
The proposal on the right to repair takes into account that electronic waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world, while the recycling rate remains very low. According to available Eurostat data, less than 40% of all electronic waste is recycled in the EU, while the rest is not sorted, with differences in recycling practices from country to country remaining large. In 2017, Croatia performed best, recycling 81.3% of all waste electronic and electrical equipment, while in Malta, with the worst performance, the figure was 20.8%.
Giorgos Georgiou: Quick action needed
In a comment to Phileleftheros, the MEP, Giorgos Georgiou, spoke of a positive step. As he said, he advocated the right to repair, since it is well known that electronic waste, from washing machines and vacuum cleaners to smartphones and computers, is the fastest growing waste stream in the European Union. "Although the recycling sector in Europe is one of the most developed, it is far from sufficient, since less than 40% of the electronic waste I mentioned above is recycled. As we know, a large part of this waste ends up being thrown away in nature, not recycled or sent back to other countries (especially Africa and Asia) where it supplies open landfills with total indifference to its impact on the environment and local populations", he pointed out.
The Cypriot MEP added that it is for this reason that we need to act quickly: by raising consumer awareness to make good purchasing choices and by encouraging them to assert their rights in terms of repairing their products. At the same time, by forcing manufacturers to make spare parts accessible, that is, at low cost, and to facilitate repair.
