What is the EU Right to Repair Directive?

The EU Right to Repair Directive makes it easier and cheaper to repair products instead of replacing them. For a defined list of products, the manufacturer has to offer repair at a reasonable price and within a reasonable time, even after the legal guarantee has run out.

It is Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on common rules promoting the repair of goods. As a directive, it works through national law: each EU country had to transpose it and apply its rules from 31 July 2026. It complements the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which makes products repairable by design, and the Empowering Consumers Directive, which tells buyers about durability and repair before they buy.

Which products are covered

The obligation to repair applies only to products listed in Annex II. These are products that already carry repairability requirements in EU product law, mostly ecodesign regulations and the EU Battery Regulation:

• Household washing machines and washer-dryers
• Household dishwashers
• Refrigerating appliances
• Household tumble dryers
• Electronic displays
• Welding equipment
• Vacuum cleaners
• Servers and data storage products
• Mobile phones, cordless phones and slate tablets
• Goods that contain batteries for light means of transport, such as e-bikes and e-scooters
• Domestic local space heaters, added from 31 July 2026 by Delegated Directive (EU) 2026/74

The Commission adds products to Annex II through delegated acts as new repairability requirements are adopted, including those that will come from ESPR.

What manufacturers must do

For Annex II products, the manufacturer must:

1. Repair on request for free or at a reasonable price, within a reasonable time, also outside the legal guarantee. It can subcontract the repair.
2. Not block repair. Contract terms, hardware or software techniques that impede repair are prohibited unless justified by legitimate and objective factors. This includes blocking compatible, second-hand or 3D-printed spare parts used by independent repairers.
3. Sell spare parts at reasonable prices that do not discourage repair.
4. Publish repair information about its repair services in an easily accessible way, for example on its website, including indicative prices for typical repairs.

If the manufacturer is outside the EU, the obligation passes to its authorized representative, then the importer, then the distributor. That makes it a supply-chain issue for any economic operator selling these products.

What changes for consumers

• An extra year of guarantee. When a product is defective within the legal guarantee and the consumer chooses repair instead of replacement, the guarantee is extended by 12 months.
• The European Repair Information Form. Repairers can give consumers a standard form with the defect, price and duration of the repair. If they do, the terms stay valid for 30 days.
• A European online repair platform. The Commission is building it as part of the Your Europe portal so consumers can find repairers near them. It is expected to be operational in January 2028.
• National measures. Each EU country must adopt at least one measure that promotes repair, such as repair vouchers, funds or information campaigns.

How to prepare

• Check Annex II against your product range, and watch for new ESPR product groups that will be added.
• Set up a repair offer with clear pricing, lead times and a way for customers to request it.
• Plan spare parts and their prices for the period your ecodesign rules require, for example 7 years after the last unit for smartphones and tablets.
• Publish repair information where customers look for it: on the product page, in the manual and behind the QR code. A Digital Product Passport is a natural place to link repair guides and parts.
• Review software and parts pairing to make sure nothing stops independent repair without a justified reason.