A large majority of the European Parliament has expressed its support for Right to Repair for consumers. The vote gives the go-ahead for several laws that should make it easier for consumers to repair their own equipment.
Of the members of the European Parliament, 395 voted in favour of the legislation. There were 94 votes against and 207 abstentions. With the vote, the EU decided it would work on legislation to make products easier to repair, reuse and recycle.
Labels
Simply put, the vote means that manufacturers have to indicate how easy it is to repair a product, but also how durable it is and how long the expected lifespan of the product is. This could, for example, take the shape of a label similar to the repairability score of iFixit.
Sustainability
Furthermore, the vote pushes for laws that oblige manufacturers to design their equipment with sustainability, energy efficiency and recyclability in mind. Repairs should be more appealing, more systematic and more cost-effective, with better guarantees and the availability of repair manuals.
Timeline
No actual laws are put into place yet. The vote is merely an agreement that the EU will actively work on legislation. The first amendments are planned for 2021, provided that the coronavirus does not throw a spanner in the works.
Right to repair
The Right to Repair movement in Europe is supported by several parties, such as ECOS, the European Environmental Bureau, the European branch of iFixit, Runder Tisch Reparatur and the Restart Project.
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