The European Commission has proposed a proposal this Wednesday to strengthen the rights of consumers when one of the devices purchased has crashed, such as televisions, telephones, washing machines. This proposal makes it clear that manufacturers should repair machines instead of replacing them in a minimum period of 10 years.
Brussels states that repairs are prioritized whenever possible, not only because they reduce costs, but also because it is consistent with the challenge of the green deal that institutions have accepted, since this will reduce waste and use these materials. to new productions.
To this end, the executive proposes changes in European rules as well as in the case of devices that are still under the two-year legal guarantee established by the Community and when the fault occurs after the protection period has expired. “We will require the sellers to repair (the devices) with a repair that is cheaper or more expensive than the replacement,” explained the Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, in a press conference in Brussels to present the details of the proposal.
simpler solutions
Since the breakdown is not covered by the legal purchase guarantee, due to an accident or the protection has already lapsed, Brussels has proposed changes to offer “more and simpler solutions” and to establish a clear rule: “the manufacturer does not reject the repair of the thing. washing machine without that repair is not possible”, said Reynder .
This obligation will apply to devices whose design allows repair in the European Union, including household aids such as washing machines and televisions, but the Community Executive points out that “soon” smart devices such as mobile phones and tablets will also be included in that list. .
Other ideas by which community services want to encourage the repair rather than the replacement of machines that are still useful, which are of shorter use each day, look at the manufacturers having to inform the buyers of the products that they are forced to repair.
It is also necessary to create an online repair platform to connect users to repair shops and refurbish sellers in their area. The platform will allow searches by location and quality standards, which will help consumers find attractive offers and increase the visibility of factories.
The advocates also have a European repair information form that users can request from any repair shop, with the aim of providing transparent repair conditions and prices, and thus making it easier for users to offer repairs.
According to data from the European Commission, every year 35 million tons of waste, 30 million tons of resources and greenhouse gas emissions of 261 million tons are generated in the European Union despite the fact that a large part of the products go there. Trash cans are “serviceable” appliances that could be easily repaired and extend their useful life.
