• A new draft law by the EU will make it more cost-effective for consumers to repair products as opposed to replace them

• DIGITAL SME welcomes the proposal as it will benefit not only consumers but also SMEs

• Independent companies will be empowered to put forth innovative services for sustainable digitalisation

On 22 March, the European Commission adopted a new proposal on common rules promoting the repair of goods. The proposal intends to help consumers save money as well as reduce production, transportation and environmental costs, to accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal.

The proposal will connect consumers and repairers/sellers through an online matchmaking repair platform. The intended tool will enable searches by location and quality standards, helping consumers find attractive offers, and boosting visibility for repairers.

Furthermore, a European quality standard for repair services will be included, helping consumers in identifying repairers who commit to a higher quality of reparation standards. This “easy repair” method will be accessible to all repairers across the EU.

“We see a right to repair as an important adjusting bolt for more sustainability” commented Dr Oliver Grün, President of the European DIGITAL SME Alliance “According to various studies, the majority of smartphones in Germany are only used for up to 3 years and all too often have to be thrown away far too early, even though they would still be functional”.

“The principle of replacing instead of repairing is therefore immensely damaging to our environment and urgently needs to be revised” continues Dr Oliver Grün “It is necessary to push the so-called modular design by law and thus to make core components easier to replace […] we want manufacturers to keep spare parts in stock longer for repair purposes. With such legally anchored incentives, a competition for the longest-lasting IT product would emerge.”