The European coalition for the right to repair
Right to Repair ! Defend your right to repair ! We advocate for ecodesigned devices that are durable and repairable by all, a right of access to manuals, diagrams, and the availability of spare parts.
Right to Repair Europe is a coalition of European organisations focused on the concept of repair. It represents communities and movements of repairers, social economy actors, self-repair and all citizens who want to defend their right to repair.
Electronic products have a large ecological footprint
Their manufacture requires valuable raw materials and a considerable amount of energy. When these products are discarded, all the energy they contain as well as many materials are lost. Only a small portion can actually be recovered through recycling. That is why extending the lifespan of electrical and electronic products through repair is the most effective way to reduce their global environmental footprint.
What do we expect from policy makers ? Sustainable ecodesign !
Products must not only be designed to perform. They must also be designed to last and be repairable whenever necessary. In order to make products that are easy to repair, we need ecodesign standards that promote disassembly and repair.
A universal right to repair
Repair must be accessible, affordable and widespread. Legal barriers should not prevent individuals, independent repairers and repair communities from repairing broken products. Everyone should have access to spare parts and repair manuals throughout the entire lifespan of a product. The repair of a product should not cost more than the purchase of a new product.
Short-term objective
European legislation should set minimum design requirements to ensure easy disassembly and replacement of key components, starting with smartphones and laptops. This legal framework must be established in national registers that are fair, inclusive and independent from manufacturers.
Informed consumers
Citizens can also play a key role in this mobilisation, through the choices they make when shopping. Citizens want to know if their products are designed to be repaired or if they are intended to be thrown away if they break. Information on the repairability of products should be made available to citizens and repairers at the place of purchase.
Current legal framework
While it is obviously not illegal for you to repair a product you own, there is no legal framework to ensure that you can. You do not always have the right to obtain the repair instructions, spare parts or specialised tools that are sometimes needed to repair a product.
Short-term objective
The EU must introduce a repairability rating system as part of the existing energy label for all energy-using products.
The right to repair ends where the manufacturer's right to produce a non-repairable product begins.
In 2017, the volume of e-waste has increased by 8 %, according to a report published under the aegis of the United Nations University (UNU). It reaches almost 55 million tons, the equivalent of 4,500 times the Eiffel Tower !