European consumers will have the right to have common household appliances, including mobile phones, repaired, while EU countries will have to produce schemes to boost repair rates according to a new law adopted on Friday (2 February).

In 2023, the European Commission proposed a new law equipping consumers with a right to have their devices repaired – long after the warranty expired.

“With the agreement reached today, Europe makes a clear choice for repair instead of disposal,” said Alexia Bertrand, the Belgian consumer protection state secretary, who led the negotiations on behalf of EU countries. Parliament and EU countries still need to rubber-stamp the agreement – usually a formality.

European Parliament’s lead negotiator, the German centre-left politician René Repasi, said, “In the future, it will be easier and cheaper to repair products instead of buying new, expensive ones.”

Alongside other initiatives, establishing a right to repair was high on the agenda for the EU’s hemicycle. Behind closed doors, lawmakers hope that tangible positive impacts for consumers will endear them to the European public. The law was thus a priority for Parliament.

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