- The EU has decided to enforce the right to repair work.
- These measures include repair labels on devices.
- France will introduce these labels from January 2021.
Back in February, we heard for the first time about proposals from the European Commission to repair equipment, calling on manufacturers to make it easier to repair equipment and make it easier to change batteries. Now the European Parliament has voted for the right to repair work.
After moving out of the movement discovered by i attach itIn the parliamentary vote, a “mandatory marking of the shelf life and repairability of a product” is required. France is ahead of the rest of the EU in this regard, as it has already announced that it will issue repair labels from January 2021.
These labels are added to smartphones, laptops, washing machines, televisions, and lawnmowers. The results are rated 10, similar to the iFixit results. Additionally, these ratings are based on factors such as ease of disassembly, access to repair information, and the pricing / availability of replacement parts.
According to France and its Stop Planned Obsolescence program, the goal behind repair value and label is threefold. The first goal is to provide only useful information to users, while the second goal is to motivate manufacturers to get the best score and thereby make it easier to repair their equipment. A final goal is to extend the lifespan of products and thus to protect the environment and the wallets of the users.
However, France is not the only EU nation taking proactive repair measures in this regard, as Austria cuts taxes on repairs to bicycles, clothes and shoes. It also offers subsidies for repairs of small and large electrical appliances, which in some states can account for up to 50% of the repair cost (up to € 100).
There is no word on a timeline for the rest of the EU to offer repairability ratings and labels, but the application also calls for security updates “during the estimated life of a device”. Hopefully we’ll see more manufacturers offering immediate security updates over a longer period of time.
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