BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union MPs agreed on Tuesday on measures to promote the repair of goods such as washing machines, televisions and smartphones, and reduce waste linked to acquisition of new products by consumers.
The European Commission proposed in March a new law requiring sellers to repair a product free of charge during the two-year legal warranty period, if the cost is not higher than that of a replacement, and to ensure the repair of the products for a period of between five and ten years after their sale.
The rules also apply to refrigerators, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, data storage products and welding equipment, which must already be repairable under current EU law.
The European Parliament, which will have to agree on a final text with EU governments, voted by 590 votes to 15 in favor of a text adding an additional year to the legal guarantee and encouraging EU countries EU to put in place incentives for repairs.
They also sought to make spare parts more affordable by promoting fair competition and requiring producers to make them available to independent repairers at a reasonable price.
“We want to put an end to the prohibitive costs of spare parts. They should be available at a non-discriminatory price and without obstacles,” said René Repasi, a German Social Democratic lawmaker overseeing the legislation.
The text on which elected officials agreed also includes bicycles, which are not subject to repairability rules, although they are frequently repaired. According to René Repasi, this inclusion aims to encourage repair rules beyond the specified products.
Parliament representatives will have to negotiate a final text with the Council of the EU.
René Repasi hopes that these negotiations will be completed in February so that the law can come into force before the European parliamentary elections in June.
(Report by Philip Blenkinsop, French version by Gaëlle Sheehan, edited by Kate Entringer)
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