The Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament called for an effective right to repair for consumers in a plenary debate in Strasbourg today. They welcomed the European Commission’s intention to propose EU legislation on this matter. The S&D Group fully supports this idea – a real step forward that will save people money and will help the environment.

Biljana Borzan MEP, S&D vice-president for consumers and shadow rapporteur on the right to repair, said:

“Sustainable choices must be an easy choice for all. The right to repair could greatly benefit consumers. People often find themselves having to choose between expensive replacement parts and a new product. The latter often wins. This might be very beneficial for manufacturers, but it is definitely not for consumers and the environment.

“We welcome the European Commission’s announcements on new legislation at the end of this year. Our Group will work on it to include information for consumers via product labelling to show the reparability. We think this should go together with access to repair and maintenance information and affordable spare parts for both consumers and repair services. This should be possible for a period corresponding to the lifespan of the product. It is high time we make manufacturers more responsible when they produce and sell products that do not conform to this European legislation. The repair and refurbishment industry can create more high-quality and environmentally friendly jobs than throwing products away or even recycling.”