Debate: Common rules promoting the repair of goods
Date: MONDAY, 20 NOVEMBER 2023
Speaker: Virginijus Sinkevičius
Language: EN

I would like to thank Parliament for its support for this important proposal and in particular the rapporteur, Mr René Repasi. I would like to express my gratitude for the work done at all committee levels and following a demanding timeline to make the adoption of the proposal possible still within this parliamentary mandate.  The Commission welcomes the draft report, which supports the overall goal of our proposal that is to make it easier for consumers to repair defective products. The Commission is pleased to see that the draft report maintains the key elements of the proposal.  We also note that on some elements, the report goes further than the Commission or, on the contrary, falls short on certain provisions compared to the Commission’s proposal.  In this context, let me highlight two important aspects. Firstly, in order to meet consumers’ expectations about the right to repair goods on the market must be technically repairable. This is why the Commission proposal links the obligation to repair for producers with product-specific repairability requirements under EU law. Such requirements are set, for example, in the eco design measures that regulate the design of the goods and availability of spare parts to make the repair technically and practically possible. The proposed obligation to repair would apply to the goods that are already subject to such requirements and as listed in Annex II of the proposal – an annex that will continue to grow in the future. And in this context, we also welcome the co-legislators progress on the proposal for an Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. So, by linking the manufacturers obligation towards consumers with their product-related obligations, the right to repair proposal creates a coherent legal framework for the business and consumers.  Secondly, the Commission’s proposal includes another important feature with the European repair information form. Transparency and predictability are key for consumers, so the repair form aims at giving consumers clearer information in a standardised format on the overall costs and main parameters of repair that is valid for 30 days. Having this information would enable consumers to look for alternatives offers from producers and other repairers. There would be increasing competition on the repair market. The Commission does not consider that provision of the form would generate significant cost and burden for repairers. From a legal point of view, by providing the form, repairers would ensure compliance with consumer information requirements that apply to them under the existing EU rules in any case. In addition, repairers could ask consumers to cover the necessary cost for inspecting the product and establishing the defect before providing the form if such cost arises. Therefore, the Commission believes that the mandatory repair form is a win-win for all parties concerned.  Finally, the Commission would like to welcome Parliament’s support towards the establishment of national information platforms. Together with the repair information form, such national platforms will help consumers in their search for repairers. To conclude, I would like to thank you again for your support on this file. The Commission hopes that we will start trilogues as soon as possible and once the Council has adopted its position, which should happen very soon.