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The European Union has officially adopted<\/a> a new set of right-to-repair rules<\/a> designed to encourage people to repair broken devices, rather than replace them. One of the rules extends a product\u2019s warranty by one year if it\u2019s repaired while still covered.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The European Union already requires companies to offer a two-year minimum warranty on products, but these new rules take things a step further. Even after the warranty period ends, companies are \u201cstill required to repair common household products,\u201d including smartphones, TVs, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and other items. If a product breaks while under warranty, consumers can choose between a replacement or a repair. If they choose to repair, the warranty will be extended for a year. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The rules say companies must offer repairs for a \u201creasonable\u201d price so that customers aren\u2019t \u201cintentionally deterred\u201d from getting their product fixed. It will also require manufacturers to provide spare parts and tools, while also barring them from using \u201ccontractual clauses, hardware or software techniques that obstruct repairs.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Manufacturers won\u2019t be able to stop the use of 3D-printed or second-hand parts by independent repair shops, or refuse to repair a product due to economic reasons \u2014\u00a0or even if it was repaired by an outside party in the past. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Additionally, the EU plans to launch an online platform that\u2019s supposed to help customers find local repair shops, sellers of used products, and people who buy defective items. The new rules will go into effect once they\u2019re approved by the Council and published in the EU Official Journal. Members of the EU will have two years to adopt it as law. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Right to Repair Europe coalition<\/a> applauded the new rules, calling it \u201ca step in the right direction\u201d. But the coalition also noted limits to the EU rules, such as that they only covers consumer products, so wouldn\u2019t include anything purchased by businesses or industrial goods. Manufacturers must supply third-party independent repair shops with spare parts and tools for a \u201creasonable price\u201d under the new rules, but the coalition said there\u2019s no guidance on what that means \u2014 effectively leaving it up to companies to decide what to charge. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The coalition also said that a ban on practices that impede repair, such as Apple\u2019s use of parts pairing<\/a>, didn\u2019t go far enough. Companies don\u2019t have to comply with the ban if it can cite \u201clegitimate and objective factors\u201d \u2014\u00a0including the protection of its intellectual property rights. The coalition called the exemption \u201cvery blurry\u201d and argued that it left \u201cthe door open\u201d for manufacturers to continue blocking outside repair of their products.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The coalition criticized the \u201cnarrow scope\u201d of the rules as well, claiming that they wouldn\u2019t impact most new products that enter the EU market. The products covered by the new rules are apparently already covered under an existing EU law that requires many appliances and electronics to be repairable for a period of 5 to 10 years<\/a> after purchase, including washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, fridges, TVs, e-bikes, scooters, welders, vacuum cleaners, phones, tablets\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cIn essence, its main effect will be to somewhat increase the chances that the small number of products that already had to be repairable by law anyway, will actually end up being repaired,\u201d wrote the coalition. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Meanwhile, the US is making headway on right-to-repair-laws as well. In the absence of a federal right-to-repair law, more than two-dozen states are working on individual right-to repair<\/a> legislation. California\u2019s law<\/a> officially goes into effect this July, and will require manufacturers to make repair materials available for all electronics and appliances that cost $50 or more. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n