What is a repairability index?

A repairability index is a score that shows how easy a product is to repair. It turns questions buyers rarely ask, such as how long spare parts are sold for or how many steps it takes to reach the battery, into a single number or class shown next to the price.

France introduced the first mandatory index in 2021 under the AGEC law. The EU followed with a repairability class on the energy label for smartphones and tablets in June 2025, and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) lets the Commission set repairability scores for more product groups.

The French repairability index

Since 1 January 2021, manufacturers and importers must calculate a repairability index for each model in certain categories of electrical and electronic equipment. Sellers show it at the point of sale, as a score from 0 to 10 with a color from red to dark green.

The score comes from five criteria, each scored out of 20:

1. Documentation: how long technical, use and maintenance information stays available, and to whom.
2. Disassembly: the number of steps to reach parts, the tools needed and the type of fasteners.
3. Spare parts availability: how long parts are sold and how quickly they are delivered.
4. Spare parts price: the price of key parts compared with the price of the product.
5. Category-specific criteria, for example software updates or a usage counter.

The index still applies to vacuum cleaners (corded, cordless and robot), household dishwashers, high-pressure cleaners, electric lawnmowers (corded, battery and robot) and laptops. The calculation for each category is set in its own decree (arrêté).

The French durability index

In 2025 France began replacing the repairability index with a durability index (indice de durabilité). It applies to TVs since January 2025 and to household washing machines since April 2025. It keeps the repairability criteria and adds reliability: resistance to stress and wear, ease of maintenance and the existence of a commercial warranty. It is also a score out of 10, shown with an hourglass icon. More categories are expected to move to it over time.

The EU repairability class

Since 20 June 2025, smartphones and slate tablets sold in the EU must carry a new energy label under Regulation (EU) 2023/1669. It shows a repairability class from A to E, next to battery endurance, drop resistance and dust and water protection. The class is based on a repairability index made of several parameters, and the details for each model are in the EU's EPREL product database, reached by the QR code on the label. France stopped requiring its own index for smartphones when the EU label took over.

ESPR allows the Commission to include repairability scores and other information requirements in future delegated acts. Together with the Right to Repair Directive and the Empowering Consumers Directive, this points toward more products carrying an EU-wide score.

What it means for your products

• The score depends on design decisions made long before launch: fasteners, part pairing, battery access and how long you commit to selling parts.
• The data has to be documented. Manufacturers must be able to show how they reached the score, and in France the detailed scoring grid must be available to anyone who asks.
• Repair information is part of the score. Publishing manuals, exploded views and parts lists online raises the documentation criteria and helps repairers.
• It connects to the passport. For product groups covered by ESPR, repair and durability information is expected to be part of the Digital Product Passport, so the same data serves both.

How to prepare

1. Check which of your products need a French repairability or durability index, or the EU repairability class.
2. Collect the inputs per model: disassembly steps, spare parts list, prices, availability periods and documentation.
3. Calculate the score with the official grid for the category and keep the calculation on file.
4. Pass the score and detailed grid to every retailer that sells the product in France.
5. Publish repair guides and spare parts information online, where they also support your passport.