The @EU_Commission has presented its proposal for a Right to Repair (#RightToRepair) (👉 https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/consumer-protection-law/consumer-contract-law/rules-promoting-repair-goods_en). Good to finally have a proposal, but it's underambitious for achieving its goal. Let's have a closer look: a🧵
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549577732087809
1a/ Core to the proposal is the obligation to repair in Article 5. Good: irrespective of the location of the producer, a good must be repaired by somebody if requested by the consumer. Bad: Possibility to refuse the request by reference to the blurry concept of 'impossibility'.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549580479332352
1b/ Obligation to repair is limited to products mentioned in Annex II, which can be extended by the European Commission by means of a delegated act (hello, my old friend!). Proper dynamisation of the scope of the obligation to repair is crucial.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549583088214016
2/ There is the European Repair Information Form (Art. 4) to be issued by a repairer before a consumer enters into a contract for repair services. Nice to have. But more relevant: Information by the producer on the repairability! Plus: The consumer has to pay for the form? C'mon.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549585349029888
3/ On #repairability: there is only a generic obligation for Member States to come up with some ideas how producers should inform consumers about the obligation to repair (but not the actual repairability of a product).
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549587852926976
4/ The R2R directive wants to create national online platforms for repair and refurbishment services.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549590180786176
5/ Important: the remedies provision in Art. 13 of the Sale of Goods Directive (2019/771) will be modified (Art. 12): repair becomes the compulsory remedy 'where the costs for replacement are equal to or greater than the cost of repair'. What is the appropriate cost of repair?
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549592529596417
6/ Good for legal protection: the right to repair directive will be added to the Representative Actions Directive (2020/1828) so that consumer organisations can enfore the obligation to repair.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549595134259203
7/ Finally, the directive shall be of maximum harmonisation. What does this mean for all measures incentivising repair in Member States such as the Austrian repair vouchers? Big gap in the proposal: costs are determined by producers and consumers have to take it or leave it.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549597411762182
8/ What's missing? Nothing about an extended minimum guarantee period for repaired products (or products in general); nothing about repair and software updates (and the issue of downgrading products by software updates); nothing about financial support for the cost of repair.
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549599760666628
Background reading I: The European Parliament's resolution on the right to repair from 7 April 2022: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0126_EN.html
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549604017790977
Background reading II: Press statement by the S&D group (@TheProgressives) by our spokesperson on the internal market and consumer protection @SchaldemoseMEP and vice-president of the group @BiljanaBorzan
RT @TheProgressives: Calling for it since 2004, we fully supports the Commission’s proposal on ‘the right to repair’, which will not only save citizens’ money but also help the environment.
Full statement from @SchaldemoseMEP & @BiljanaBorzan here 👇
https://www…
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549606110838785
Background reading III: My own press statement (in German)
RT @SPDEuropa: Initiative für den Verbraucherschutz: Die EU-Kommission hat ein Recht auf Reparatur für Verbraucher*innen vorgeschlagen. Die Richtlinie zielt auf alte Computer, Smartphones oder andere Elektrogeräte ab. Das Ziel: weniger Kosten, Emissionen & Elektroschrott. #RightToRepair 1/2 👇
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549608602165248
9/ Conclusions: good to have a proposal for an important issue! But there is a need to improve the text in terms of information on repairability, limiting the refusal of repair requests, incentivising repair, supporting consumers in bearing the costs, the guarantee period. /END
🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/repasi/status/1638549601908137985