00:00Did you know a new EU law forces companies to repair your stuff?
00:05Europeans discard millions of tons of electronic waste every year.
00:08Many of those products could have been fixed, but currently repair seems as costly as replacement.
00:14To change that, the EU passed the Right to Repair directive this summer.
00:18The law applies across all 27 member states, as Brussels wants repair to become the norm
00:23and not the last resort.
00:25Today, when something breaks outside its warranty, repair can be hard to find, buying new often
00:30feels cheaper and manufacturers can limit access to parts and tools.
00:34The result is discouraged consumers throwing away millions of tons of electronics every year.
00:41The Repair directive changes this in two ways.
00:44Choose repair during your legal guarantee and your protection is extended by at least 12 extra months.
00:49After the guarantee ends, manufacturers must repair certain products if you ask them to.
00:54That obligation covers 10 product categories.
00:58Washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, TVs and monitors, vacuum cleaners,
01:02welding equipment, servers, phones and tablets, tumble dryers and batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters.
01:09Manufacturers cannot refuse repair just because parts are expensive,
01:13an independent shop opens the device or you try to fix it yourself.
01:17They can only refuse repair if the repair is generally impossible.
01:22And if they refuse unfairly, consumers can complain to national authorities.
01:26Every EU country must set penalties that are effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
01:32But that's not free repair. Manufacturers can still charge a price for labour, parts and service,
01:38all within certain limits.
01:40To help consumers compare offers, the EU is rolling out a standard European repair information form
01:46and a free online repair platform expected from 2027.
01:50Governments are expected to pitch in too, with repair vouchers, lower VAT on repair services
01:55and support for repair cafes and training.
01:58Now, the repair directive will not fix all our stuff.
02:02Laptops, game consoles and furniture are not covered yet.
02:06But the list can grow as new EU repairability rules come into force.
02:11For the EU, the goal with this new law is to see fewer products end up in landfills
02:16and more products repaired and to secure for European consumers the right to repair.
02:21For the full story, read Art and Depth Explainer on Neuronews.com
