Gamingdeputy reported on April 24 that in order to encourage people to repair broken electrical appliances rather than replace them directly, the European Union officially adopted a new set of “right to repair” rules. One of the provisions is,If the product is repaired within the warranty period, its warranty period will be extended by one year.
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The EU has previously required manufacturers to provide products with a minimum warranty period of at least two years, but the new regulations go further and stipulate that even if the product has passed the warranty period,Manufacturers also “still need to provide repair services for common household appliances” such as smartphones, TVs, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, etc.. If the product is damaged during the warranty period, consumers can choose to replace it with a new one or have it repaired.If you choose repair, the warranty period will be automatically extended for one year..
The new regulations point out thatCompanies must provide repair services at “reasonable” prices, so that consumers will not give up repairing the product because the price is too high. The new rules also require manufacturers to provide spare parts and tools, while prohibiting them from using “contractual terms, hardware or software technology that prevents repairs.”
According to the new regulations,Manufacturers must not prevent independent repair shops from using 3D printed or used partsnor can we refuse to provide maintenance services due to economic factors or because the product has been repaired by a third party.
In addition, the EU plans to launch an online platform aimed at helping consumers find local repair shops, second-hand product sellers and buyers of defective products. The new rules will come into force after approval by the Council and publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and EU member states will have two years to incorporate them into national law.
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Gamingdeputy noted that the “European Right to Repair Alliance” expressed its appreciation for the new regulations, calling it “a step in the right direction.”But the alliance also pointed out some limitations of the new regulationsfor example, the new regulations only apply to consumer products and do not cover equipment or industrial products purchased by companies.
In addition, the new regulations require manufacturers to provide spare parts and tools to third-party independent repair shops at “reasonable” prices, but the European Right to Repair Alliance said that the standard is not clearly explained, effectively leaving the pricing power to manufacturers.
The alliance also said bans on practices that hinder repairs, such as Apple's parts-matching practices, don't go far enough. Companies can avoid complying with the ban if they can plead “legitimate and objective reasons,” such as protecting their intellectual property. The alliance called the exemption “very vague” and argued it leaves a “back door” for manufacturers to continue to prevent third parties from repairing their products.
The alliance also criticized the “narrow scope” of the new rules, claiming they would not affect most new products entering the EU market. The products covered by the new regulations are apparently already covered under existing EU law, which requires many electrical and electronic products to be repairable within 5 to 10 years of purchase, such as washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, televisions, electric appliances, etc. Bicycles, scooters, welders, vacuum cleaners, cell phones, tablets and more.
“Essentially, the primary impact of the new rule is to slightly increase the likelihood that those few products that should be legally repairable will actually be repaired,” the coalition wrote.
At the same time, the United States is also making progress in “right to repair” legislation. In the absence of a federal “right to repair” law, more than 20 states are enacting their own “right to repair” legislation. California's law, set to take effect in July, requires manufacturers to provide repair materials for all electronics and appliances priced at $50 or more.