New EU rules expand consumers' right to repair electronics
Since July 31, new European Union rules give consumers broader rights to demand repair of damaged household electronics. A European repair platform to help people find repair services is planned to launch by 2027.
As of July 31 this year, new European Union rules have taken effect aimed at encouraging people to repair broken goods rather than discard them and buy new ones. The rules cover a range of household and electronic devices, including washing machines, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones and tablets.
What changes for consumers
The new rules expand consumers' rights to request repair of these products. Manufacturers will now be required to provide the spare parts needed for repairs, as well as information on where and how a product can be fixed. Repairs must be carried out within a reasonable time frame and either free of charge or for a reasonable fee. If a consumer chooses repair instead of replacement while still within the seller's liability period, the product's legal warranty is extended by at least another 12 months. This does not mean, however, that every broken device will always be repairable free of charge.
A shared EU repair platform is planned
By 2027, the European Union plans to launch an online platform to help residents find repair providers. It is expected to become fully operational by January 2028.
Why it matters
The European Commission notes that many items which could be repaired are simply thrown away instead. This generates around 35 million tonnes of waste and 261 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions across the EU every year. In addition, choosing to replace rather than repair costs consumers close to 12 billion euros more annually than necessary.
On the Delfi programme "Spried ar Delfi", representatives of the European Commission's representation in Latvia, the Ministry of Economics, LMT and the organization Zero Waste Latvia discussed the new rules and their impact on the Latvian market, including whether the country will have enough qualified repair technicians and available spare parts to make the new rights work in practice.
