This week, the European Parliament voted to support the EU Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection's recommendations on the "right to repair." It also proposes a mandatory labeling system for consumer electronics that will explicitly provide information about the repairability and lifespan of products.
In addition to supporting the right to repair, the labeling of consumer electronics will also play a major role. The proposal will force the EU Commission to "develop and implement mandatory labeling to provide consumers with clear, immediately visible, and easily understandable information about the estimated lifetime and repairability of a product at the time of purchase." This includes a repair rating, similar to those awarded by iFixit, which will be clearly displayed on the product at the time of purchase. France already plans to introduce repairability ratings for smartphones, laptops, and other products starting in January 2021. The iFixit report is it [called:
Right to repair: “Manufacturers should be legally obliged”
By adopting this report, the European Parliament has sent a clear message: harmonised mandatory labelling indicating shelf life and addressing premature obsolescence at EU level is the way forward,” said French MEP David Cormand.
According to a recent EU public opinion survey, 77 percent of EU citizens would rather repair their devices than replace them and 79 percent believe that manufacturers should be legally obliged to make it easier to repair digital devices or replace their parts.
Right to repair: Apple sets disproportionately high repair prices
We hope this will translate into swift action to introduce a mandatory repairability index for all electrical and electronic products sold across the EU, so that consumers can shop with confidence,” said Ugo Vallauri, co-founder of the Restart project and the European Right to Repair Campaign.
Apple has been repeatedly criticized for disproportionately high repair prices, such as the fee of 90.60 euros for the maintenance of the HomePod mini, which costs €96.50, as well as for arbitrary repair restrictions, such as blocking repairs to the iPhone 12's camera without access to Apple's proprietary, cloud-connected system configuration app. Yesterday, the UK Parliament's Environment Select Committee published a report chastising Apple for contributing to a "throwaway culture" of "short-lived products." The EU proposal is likely to promote a range of repair-friendly policies and product disclosures—but this will depend on whether the European Commission enacts them. (Photo by Andrey_Kuzmin / Bigstockphoto)
