France will be the first to label electronic devices with a repairability score, to protect consumer’s rights to repair.
Yesterday, the European Parliament voted for a new policy to “develop and introduce mandatory labelling, to provide clear, immediately visible and easily understood information to consumers on the estimated life and repairability of a product at the time of purchase”. The vote, which was approved with 395 votes in favor, 94 against and 207 abstentions, supports the right of consumers to repair.
We hope that this will translate into swift action to establish a mandatory reparability rating for all electrical and electronic products sold throughout the European Union, to help consumers buy with confidence,” said Ugo Vallauri, Co-Founder of the Restart project.
What does repairability score mean?
For example, as of January 1, 2021, France will begin to implement a labeling system that reveals a reparability score index on all electrical and electronic products (smartphones, laptops, etc.), hoping that the rest of the European Union countries will follow suit.
This classification is expected to help customers prioritize the purchase of products that are easier to fix in the event of a future breakdown.
According to a survey, 77% of European consumers would prefer to be able to repair their device rather than buy a new one, while 79% agree that manufacturers should facilitate the repair of their devices and the replacement of parts.
