Following years of discussion and campaigning from companies such as Procurri, the European Parliament has this week adopted new legislation reinforcing the ‘Right To Repair’. This directive will see sustainability promoted across all industries and the repair sector (including those working on Third Party Maintenance in the IT channel) receive a welcome boost.
In IT, the directive will alter the way that OEMs shoulder the responsibility for repairs on products they’ve created. The Right To Repair legislation includes the following key provisions:
Obligation To Repair
Manufacturers of many electronic products must offer repair services even after their standard warranty period expires; and where a repair under warranty is offered, it will come with a one-year extension of the guarantee. This is intended to encourage consumers to choose repair over replacement in products they would usually not have the option for.
Information Access
All consumers of relevant products will have access to information detailing the repair options available, including costs and estimated duration of repair. An online platform servicing the whole of the European Union will allow for the listing of both local repair shops and refurbished goods sellers.
Repair Market Revitalization
OEMs must offer spare parts and tools for repair at set prices deemed to be ‘reasonable’ by the European Parliament, with no excessive fees added. They also will no longer stipulate in any purchase contracts that repairs are not offered. This is hoped to revitalize the repair market.
Affordability Promotion
All EU member states will be encouraged to implement incentives for the repair of electronic products over replacement; such as repair vouchers, support for community-led repair initiatives and marketing information campaigns. This will promote affordable repairs locally for those who may find financial, educational and technological barriers currently an issue to access such services.
What Impact Will This Have?
E-waste leads to 35 million tonnes of waste every year in the EU, and this is expected to significantly reduce as products are more easily (and cheaply) repaired than they are replaced. The European Parliament are working toward climate neutrality and a circular economy by 2050 – both of which initiatives will be bolstered hugely by this ruling.
Politically, this move was overwhelmingly popular – with 584 votes in favour, just 3 against, and 14 abstentions. This indicates a healthy shift toward pushing sustainability into the consciousness of governments and corporations continent-wise.
What Happens Now?
The Right To Repair Directive will now undergo formal approval by the European Council before it is published in the EU Official Journal. Once these steps are taken, all EU members have 24 months to enshrine the directive into national law.
What Can Businesses Do To Avoid Breaching The Directive?
Although EU member states have 24 months to enshrine the Right To Repair directive into law, but businesses should not wait to act. Instead, positive change can be taken right away.
For data center hardware, businesses can adopt an approach of extending the lifespan of their assets without having to replace them periodically once OEM warranties end. This can be achieved through the use of Third Party Maintenance; where Procurri monitors and repairs equipment past the warranty period, installing spare parts where required and ensuring no downtime (while simultaneously allowing the business to save on their budgets and store away finances for future new hardware purchase).
Where e-waste is truly ‘end of life’ and needs to be disposed of, businesses should seek zero landfill waste solutions. Procurri’s ITAD services offer exactly this – and can even result in revenue being returned to the firm as discarded hardware is recycled or resold.
If your business is situated in or has operations in any EU member state, get in touch with the Procurri team today and let our experts talk you through the bespoke configuration offerings that could work for you!
