Right to repair
Right to repair is a policy approach and set of legal measures intended to make repair a practical option for consumers and other users. Measures can address repair services, information, spare parts, tools, product design, pricing, warranties, and restrictions that unnecessarily prevent lawful repair.
In simple terms
Right-to-repair rules vary by jurisdiction and product. They may require manufacturers to repair covered goods on reasonable terms, extend seller liability when repair is chosen, improve access to repair information, or support comparison of repair offers. In the EU, Directive (EU) 2024/1799 complements Ecodesign requirements that make selected products more repairable. The phrase does not mean every person can demand any repair for free; coverage, price, safety, intellectual property, warranty, and national procedures still matter.
Why it matters
Practical repair options can extend product life, reduce premature disposal, preserve embedded materials and energy, and strengthen a Circular economy. They can also widen consumer choice and competition among repair services. Legal access alone is insufficient when poor Repairability, unavailable parts, prohibitive prices, software locks, or missing diagnostics still make a repair unrealistic.
Example
A consumer's covered appliance fails after the seller's legal-liability period. Under applicable national rules implementing the EU directive, the manufacturer offers repair within a reasonable time and at a reasonable price. The consumer compares the terms and chooses repair. The outcome depends on product coverage and national law, not on the phrase Right to repair alone.
References
Current status
- As of
- Issuer
- European Union
- Jurisdiction
- European Union
- Instrument or version
- Directive (EU) 2024/1799
- Status
- Directive (EU) 2024/1799 is in force, and Member States were required to transpose and apply its measures from 31 July 2026.
Applicability: Actual consumer rights and enforcement routes depend on national transposition and the current product coverage. The manufacturer's repair obligation outside the legal guarantee applies to goods covered by EU repairability requirements and listed through the directive's mechanism, not automatically to every product.