Gives consumers an extended warranty if you fix it yourself.
Picture of the OnePlus Nord mobile phone, which we showed how you could replace the screen on.
Camera Torstein Norum Bugge, Tek.no
The short version
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- The EU has adopted a new directive that gives consumers the right to repair products at a reasonable price after the warranty has expired.
- Consumers are also given the right to carry out repairs themselves, and manufacturers are now required to provide spare parts, tools and repair information.
- The law also extends the statutory guarantee by 12 months if the consumer chooses repair instead of replacement.
- Manufacturers cannot refuse to repair a product for financial reasons or because it has previously been repaired by an independent workshop.
- The law is aimed at reducing climate emissions, resource consumption and waste, and includes TV screens, refrigerators, washing machines, mobile phones and more.
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Consumers in the EU are now entitled to have products repaired at a reasonable price after the warranty has expired. It establishes a new EU directive Check Switch EU directiveA legislative document from the EU that requires member states to achieve a certain result, but allows them to decide how they want to achieve this. which has been adopted by the European Parliament.
– Consumers’ right to repair products will now become a reality. It will be easier and cheaper to repair instead of buying new, expensive goods, says the parliament’s spokesperson René Repasi from the Social Democratic party group (S & D, Germany) in European Parliament Check Switch European ParliamentThe legislative assembly of the EU which consists of representatives elected by the citizens of the member states..
According to the EU, disposal of consumer goods causes 261 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, uses 30 million tonnes of resources and generates 35 million tonnes of waste annually in the EU. Consumers also lose around NOK 120 billion every year by replacing products instead of repairing them.
The law covers, among other things, TV screens, refrigerators, freezers, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, mobile phones and tablets. The list can be expanded later.
According to a previous EU study, 77 percent of EU citizens would rather repair an item than buy a new one.
Extended warranty if you repair yourself
Manufacturers will be obliged to carry out repairs at a reasonable price within a reasonable time frame after the expiry of the warranty period. Exactly what “reasonable price” means is of course not entirely easy to say, but it should mainly be about manufacturers not setting repair prices so high that they almost force consumers to buy a new product instead.
The legislation also extends the statutory warranty by 12 months if the consumer chooses repair over replacement.
Consumers must also have access to spare parts, tools and information about repairs if they wish to carry out the repairs themselves. A European online platform will be created with an overview of repair shops and sellers of repaired goods.
– The manufacturers will be obliged to inform consumers about their right to repair, says the EU.
Want to fix your own stuff when you can buy official parts directly?
Must offer spare parts
The manufacturers must supply spare parts, and it will be forbidden to use contract terms, hardware or software that prevent repairs. They cannot refuse to repair a product for financial reasons or because it has previously been repaired by an independent workshop.
When does the law come into force?
Things take time, and even though the new law has now been voted through the European Parliament, there is still a long wait left. The new laws must first be approved by Council of Europe Check Switch Council of EuropeAn EU institution consisting of heads of state or government from the EU countries, as well as the president of the European Commission, and which has a role in approving EU legislation.and then all member states have two years to implement the new provisions.
Although Norway is not part of the EU, it is safe to assume that these rules will also be implemented here after the Council of Europe has voted it through. But the calendar will probably say 2026 before we see the full effect of the new laws.
