Manufacturers of electrical appliances must be obliged to make products that last longer and can be repaired. This was stated in a resolution adopted by a large majority of the European Parliament on 16 March.

According to the MEPs, the right to repair should be extended. Independent repairers and ordinary consumers should also be given free access to repair and maintenance information. In practice, the current right to repair applies mainly to professional, brand-related repairers.

By repairing, consumers can contribute to the circular economy

With the resolution, the parliament increases the pressure on the European Commission. The latter will present plans this year to stimulate repair and reuse. “With this resolution, we make it crystal clear what we expect from the Commission,” says the German Anna Cavazzini, who took the initiative for the resolution. She believes that by repairing their own items, consumers can contribute to the transition to a circular economy. “In terms of the right to repair, the EU simply has to deliver,” the MEP believes.

More information

• Watch the video of the European Parliament on the importance of repair;
• Read the press release of the European Parliament on the resolution of 16 March 2022;
• Read our news item on the preliminary plans of the European Commission, which will become definitive later this year;
• Read our earlier post on the right to repair.

The European Commission invites citizens and organisations to give feedback on their plans to stimulate repair and reuse. The Commission has put several ideas on paper. It now wants to know whether they match the views and wishes of the European public.

With these plans the Commission wants to encourage consumers to have broken items repaired more often and also to buy repaired items more often. It also wants to encourage producers to design products that last longer and are easy to repair. It wants to discourage unsustainable consumption. In this way, the Commission wants to contribute to constructing a circular economy.

Share your thoughts!

Do you want to give your opinion? Then start by reading the plans. After that, you can provide your feedback until 5 April 2022 through the website of the European Commission.

Read more

• Read the plans of the European Commission for more repair and reuse
• Read our news item on a European right to repair

Just when the European Union is making efforts to promote the repair of domestic appliances, Miele is making this more difficult, so reports the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad. The product manufacturer no longer supplies parts to webshops. Instead, customers can only order spare parts through Miele, but the range on the Miele website is much smaller than what spare parts shops were offering until recently.

Step goes against the trend to repair more

Repair Café International is not happy with the development. “This step goes directly against the spirit of the new European rules and the trend in society to repair more”, says director Martine Postma to the newspaper. The decision is all the more remarkable given that Miele has always presented itself as a solid brand that values durability and repairability.

Read more

• Read the NRC article (in Dutch)
• Read our news item about the European rules to promote repair