WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?
Directive (EU) 2024/1799 aims to promote the repair of broken or defective goods for the benefit of consumers, the environment and the European Union’s (EU) internal market.
KEY POINTS
Manufacturers’ responsibilities
Manufacturers must:
- repair, when requested, goods such as washing machines and mobile phones containing repair provisions (covered by existing EU legislation in Annex II), unless repair is impossible;
- carry out the repair for free or at a reasonable price, within a reasonable time;
- make available, for a reasonable price, spare parts or tools they are obliged to give access to for repairers (for goods listed in Annex II);
- ensure consumers have free access via a website to the indicative prices charged for the repair of goods listed in Annex II;
- provide free, clear and easily accessible information on their repair services;
- not use contractual, hardware, software or other reasons, such as previous repairs by another party, as obstacles to the repair without a legitimate and objective justification.
The list of goods covered in Annex II must be updated by the European Commission via a delegated act at the latest within 12 months of the publication of legal acts containing repairability requirements.
European online platform for repair
The directive creates a European online platform that aims to help consumers to find repairers. The EU Member States may decide to be part of the European platform by having a dedicated national section on the platform or create national repair platforms instead (in the latter case, the links to national platforms will be provided on the European online platform). Registration on the platform is free and voluntary.
The Member States:
- are responsible for the registration of repairers on the platform;
- may allow the registration of other entities (sellers of refurbished goods, purchasers of defective goods for refurbishment and community-led repair initiatives such as repair cafés);
- may set access conditions for registration on the platform.
The Commission will develop a common online interface for the platform by 31 July 2027 and will be responsible for its technical maintenance and the cooperation with the national contact points in each Member States (to be communicated/indicated by 31 July 2026).
The platform will become fully operational by 1 January 2028.
Extension of the legal guarantee
- Where repair is chosen as the remedy to bring the goods into conformity, Directive (EU) 2024/1799 amends Directive (EU) 2019/771 on contracts for the sale of goods, requiring the guarantee period to be extended once by one year.
- Before providing the remedy to bring the goods into conformity, the seller must inform consumers about their right to choose between repair and replacement, and about the possible extension of the guarantee period.
General rules
Member States must:
- ensure that public bodies and consumer, environmental or professional organisations have access to the law to enforce the legislation;
- provide information to the public on their consumer rights under the directive;
- introduce at least one measure to promote repairs;
- adopt appropriate penalties for abuses of the law.
Voluntary European repair information form
- Repairers, when requested, may provide consumers with the form for free, in reasonable time and before a repair contract is signed;
- The completed form is valid for a minimum of 30 days and covers details of the repairer, the work, the cost and time involved and other practical information (Annex I provides the template).
The Commission will report on the directive’s application by 31 July 2031.
The directive amends:
FROM WHEN DO THE RULES APPLY?
The directive has to be transposed into national law by 31 July 2026. These rules should apply from 31 July 2026.
BACKGROUND
Items that can be repaired are often thrown away. This leads to 35 million tonnes of waste and 261 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU every year. The cost to consumers of replacing (rather than repairing) products is estimated at almost €12 billion per year.
The directive is part of the EU’s broader goal of making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
For further information, see:
MAIN DOCUMENT
Directive (EU) 2024/1799 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on common rules promoting the repair of goods and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directives (EU) 2019/771 and (EU) 2020/1828 (OJ L, 2024/1799, 10.7.2024).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products, amending Directive (EU) 2020/1828 and Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and repealing Directive 2009/125/EC (OJ L, 2024/1781, 28.6.2024).
See consolidated version.
Regulation (EU) 2023/988 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 on general product safety, amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the European Parliament and the Council, and repealing Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 87/357/EEC (OJ L 135, 23.5.2023, pp. 1–51).
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2023 concerning batteries and waste batteries, amending Directive 2008/98/EC and Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and repealing Directive 2006/66/EC (OJ L 191, 28.7.2023, pp. 1–117).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Directive (EU) 2020/1828 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2020 on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers and repealing Directive 2009/22/EC (OJ L 409, 4.12.2020, pp. 1–27).
See consolidated version.
Directive (EU) 2019/771 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 and Directive 2009/22/EC, and repealing Directive 1999/44/EC (OJ L 136, 22.5.2019, pp. 28–50).
Directive (EU) 2019/790 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, pp. 92–125).
Directive (EU) 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (OJ L 151, 7.6.2019, pp. 70–115).
Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 (OJ L 345, 27.12.2017, pp. 1–26).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on consumer rights, amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directive 1999/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 85/577/EEC and Directive 97/7/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, pp. 64–88).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products (recast) (OJ L 285, 31.10.2009, pp. 10–35).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to-consumer commercial practices in the internal market and amending Council Directive 84/450/EEC, Directives 97/7/EC, 98/27/EC and 2002/65/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Unfair Commercial Practices Directive) (OJ L 149, 11.6.2005, pp. 22–39).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2004/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the enforcement of intellectual property rights (OJ L 157, 30.4.2004, pp. 45–86).
See consolidated version.
