Makers of numerous product categories, including TVs, vacuums, smartphones, and tablets, could be required to enable repairs for their products for up to 10 years after purchase, depending on the device type. The European Commission on Wednesday
announced a
proposal it has adopted that would implement long-term repair requirements on electronics makers if the European Parliament and Council approve it.
The regulation would apply to any devices with repairability requirements in the EU, including vacuum cleaners, washer-dryers, welding equipment, servers, and data-storage devices. The EU is currently hammering out
right-to-repair requirements for smartphones and tablets. Already, the EU requires vendors to repair or replace products within two years of purchase for free if the product is defective. The new regulation would require companies to provide a free repair (instead of replacing the product) if doing so would be the same price or cheaper than replacing it. Further, the proposed legislation requires vendors to perform repairs for a minimum of five to 10 years, depending on the device type, after purchase. TV makers, for example, would be required to do repairs for at least seven years after purchase, while washing machine and washer-dryer makers would be on the hook for 10 years. The EU is currently mulling
proposals requiring smartphone and tablet makers to provide repairs for up to five years under the law proposed on Wednesday.
The regulation wouldn't require vendors to perform repairs in this time frame if it is "impossible," such as if the "repair is technically impossible," the commission explained in a
Q&A page. Over 15 years, the commission estimates this regulation would save 18.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions, 1.8 million tons of resources, and 3 million tons of waste. Meanwhile, EU consumers would save 176.5 billion euro (about $192.3 billion), and "sellers and producers" would save about 15.6 billion euro (about $16.3 billion), by the commission's measures.
arstechnica.com
