Reasonably priced spare parts for artisans and SMEs: EU agrees to strengthen the right to repair

Brussels – The alarm has subsided for the hundreds of thousands of Italian and European craft businesses that repair and do maintenance on household appliances, watches, clothing, cars, plants, telephones and computers. Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU Council reached an agreement overnight on the new EU rules to guarantee a true “right to repair”. And the principle that “manufacturers will have to make spare parts and tools available at a reasonable price” reappeared in the compromise text.

The directive, proposed by the European Commission on March 22, 2023, aims to reduce waste and strengthen the repair sector by making product repairs more accessible and affordable. Acting simultaneously from two sides: imposing more obligations on manufacturers and encouraging consumers to extend the life cycle of their goods.

The complaint of SMEunited and Confartigianato to eliminate unequal treatment

The risk, denounced in recent days by SMEunited, the association of some 70 crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe from more than 30 European countries, was that the position of Member States would pass in inter-institutional negotiations. They eliminated any reference to taking down barriers and unequal treatment that prevent independent repairers from being able to operate under the same conditions as those authorized by the manufacturers’ parent companies.

The president of Confartigianato, Marco Granelli, expressed this concern in a letter to the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, asking the Italian delegation to defend the right of independent repairers to access “all spare parts, technical specifications, and tools necessary to carry out repairs at a reasonable cost throughout the lifetime of a product.” Speaking to Eunews, Granelli stressed the “valuable and unmissable opportunity to enhance the skills of artisans and small business owners” and to “offer consumers qualified services at a fair cost” that this directive offered.

It’s not just the 68,000 small businesses in the auto repair sector, 106,000 equipment repairers, nearly 4,000 that deal with home appliances, 2,000 that repair elevators, 12,000 tailors, and 3,000 watchmakers’ workshops that are at stake – from the Italian data released by Confartigianato; but also the freedom of choice of consumers, who too often are forced to turn exclusively to the manufacturing company for all possible repairs. With all possible inconveniences, for example, if to replace a damaged part of a car, one is forced to travel hundreds of kilometers to reach the parent company.

The outcome of negotiations. Reynders: “Investment in repair pays off”

After a trialogue that European Parliament sources say was full of proposals and changes, the tentative agreement goes further, banning manufacturers from using contract clauses and hardware or software techniques to hinder repairs. And it obliges them to allow independent repairers to use second-hand or 3D-produced spare parts.

“The new directive will make repair easier, more affordable, and more accessible. It will also send an important message to companies: sustainable business models and investment in repair pays off,” said EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. The proposal’s rapporteur for the European Parliament, German Social Democrat René Repasi, claimed the “significant success for the European Parliament, which has spoken vehemently in favor of empowering consumers in the fight against climate change.

The agreement also introduces 12 additional months of legal warranty on repaired products, the possibility to borrow a device during the repair time, and free online access to indicative repair prices. Finally, each member state will have to introduce at least one measure to promote repair — such as repair vouchers and funds, information campaigns, repair courses, or support for community-run repair spaces — or, in line with existing taxation rules, a reduced VAT rate on repair services.