Brussels, October 12th, 2023 

The European Refurbishment Association (EUREFAS) welcomes the overwhelming adoption of MEP Glavak’s report on Common Rules Promoting Repair by the Environment Committee and salutes the addition of a new article referencing “consumers’ universal right to repair”. 

Since its publication in early 2022, EUREFAS has supported this proposal as it promotes refurbishment and repair by reinforcing consumer’s ability to prolong the life of their devices by seeking quality and affordable repair, as 77% of Europeans would prefer to repair their devices instead of buying a new one 1. 

In order to boost the refurbishment and repair sector, EUREFAS outlines that this “right to repair” should be universal to provide consumers’ free choice to choose their repair provider, which will also mean a more even playing field in the repair market. It means that consumers should be entirely free to: 

• Decide the repair provider of their choice among different professionals - including independent repairers outside the OEM network: he repair market is still locked-in by manufacturers - whether by gatekeeping prices and availability of spare parts, or by refusing a repair if the product has been serviced by an independent operator - which is not enabling a competitive and open market and subsequently attractive repairs. 
• Seek repair at a reasonable and non discriminatory price: If the majority of consumers are likely to seek repair, the price of it can be highly discouraging. According to studies, the cost of repair must not exceed ⅓ of new product prices for consumers to choose repair 2. It is crucial that these prices should be fair and non discriminatory, or any attempt to nudge consumers towards repair would be vain. By doing so, the repair market will also be more competitive and attractive and repaired products will hopefully soar. 
• With any tools and parts available that comply with EU standards, safety and environmental regulations: Producers  have been increasingly using hardware and software techniques to limit independant repair, preventing the widespread of repair and refurbishment. Consumers should be free of choosing original, compatible and second-hand spare parts as long as they comply with applicable regulations, as the use of compatible parts allows most of the time a repair operation at a fair and lower price. 

1 Flash Eurobarometer n°338

2 Overview of the household appliance repair business in relation to the product and the supply chain", "Survey of repairers' perceptions of their business and possible future developments", ADEME 2018.

EUREFAS truly relies on this regulation to create a universal right to repair that will hopefully open the after sales market, create healthy competition in repair offers, drive prices down and quality up, with less devices thrown in landfills and less new products manufactured as a consequence. 

About EUREFAS:

The European Refurbishment Association (EUREFAS) aims to guide European institutions in shaping legislation towards more sustainable consumption of consumer electronics. EUREFAS works in a united front with the common goal of minimising overall environmental impact and ensuring long-term sustainability of the electronics industry by achieving a circular economy. 

Find out more at www.eurefas.com.

EUREFAS has signed the transparency register of the European institutions under the number 332404341982-26 and is thus committed to fully comply with its code of conduct while engaging vis à vis the EU officials.