Repair should be the ordinary choice, not a consumer obstacle
Europe’s new right-to-repair rules are an important beginning. The harder job is making repair prices, parts and services genuinely accessible.
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Photo: RaMa2016 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0; no modifications by NOREVI. · Image source · License: CC BY-SA 4.0Replacing a broken device should not be the automatic answer when a repair could keep it useful. That is the position of this NOREVI editorial column. The European Union’s right-to-repair directive, which member states were required to apply from 31 July 2026, offers a practical occasion to ask what a functioning repair market ought to look like.
The European Commission says the rules strengthen consumers’ ability to request repairs for covered products, require accessible information on manufacturers’ repair services and address the availability and pricing of spare parts. The framework applies to specified categories subject to EU repairability requirements, not to every object a household owns. That limitation matters: a broad slogan about a universal right can create expectations the law does not meet.
Legal rights alone do not make a repair attractive. A consumer still needs to know what failed, obtain a trustworthy estimate, find a qualified technician and compare the cost with replacement. Long delays can make even an affordable repair impractical when the item is needed for work or daily life. Manufacturers, repair shops and public authorities should therefore treat price transparency and service timelines as essential parts of implementation.
Independent repairers should not be an afterthought. Competition can improve access, particularly in smaller towns where an authorized service center may be far away. At the same time, a repair should meet reasonable safety and quality expectations. A useful policy must protect both customer choice and confidence in the result.
The EU plans a European online repair platform, but the Commission’s current detailed guidance envisages operation in 2028. Digital directories can help people find services, yet they will matter little without an adequate local network of repairers.
Our position is straightforward: success should be measured by completed, fairly priced repairs and longer product lifetimes, not simply by the existence of new rights on paper. Repair must become a credible option before replacement becomes the default.
