Two new European directives are set to come into force in July and September, bringing stronger consumer protection, greater transparency and promoting more sustainable purchase choices.
The Right to Repair Directive and the Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition are central to the EU’s push toward a more circular and resource-efficient economy, reshaping how Europeans buy, use and repair everyday products.
The Right to Repair Directive introduces a set of new rules aimed at making repair of goods a realistic and accessible option for consumers across the EU. This new legal framework requires manufacturers to offer repair services for certain categories of products, both during and after the legal guarantee period.
This requirement applies to products covered by EU reparability requirements adopted under Union law, as listed in Annex II of the directive, which currently focus on a range of commonly used household and electronic products, particularly those with a significant environmental impact.
These include household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and tumble dryers; electronic displays including televisions and monitors; consumer electronics like smartphones and tablets, lighting products, including certain types of lamps and light sources, and vacuum cleaners.
This directive is also designed to encourage the repair of products within the legal guarantee period by making repair a more attractive and consumer-friendly option. When a product is repaired during the two-year legal guarantee, consumers automatically benefit from an additional 12-month extension of the legal guarantee. This ensures that choosing repair does not in any way reduce their level of protection consumers are entitled to and, instead, reinforces the durability and value of the product.
Sellers are required to clearly inform consumers of their right to choose between repair and replacement when a defect arises, as well as of the legal guarantee extension available if they opt for repair. The guarantee extension will apply only to products purchased after July 31, 2026, giving businesses time to adapt to the new obligations and update their commercial practices accordingly.
“This directive is designed to make repair a more attractive and consumer-friendly option”
Beyond the legal guarantee period, for products listed in Annex II of the directive, manufacturers must offer to repair the items within a reasonable time and at a reasonable cost, and they may not refuse repair simply because a product was previously serviced by an independent repairer.
In addition, the directive introduces new requirements on transparency and accessibility for manufacturers. The latter will be required to make available spare parts and repair information and to provide access to spare parts at reasonable prices, as well as publish clear and easily accessible details about their repair services, including indicative pricing.
The directive also prohibits practices that hinder repairability, such as software locks, contractual restrictions or design features that unnecessarily complicate disassembly, unless these can be justified by objective factors, such as safety or security requirements.
To further support consumers, the EU will establish a European Repair Platform, allowing users to compare repair services, access the European repair information form and easily identify available repair options in their area.
The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive introduces a series of binding rules aimed at eliminating misleading environmental claims and ensure that consumers receive accurate, verifiable information about the sustainability of the products they buy.
A key provision of this directive prohibits the use of vague or generic environmental claims, such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’ or ‘climate neutral’, unless these claims are supported by clear, recognised and verifiable evidence.
The directive also restricts the use of sustainability labels, allowing only those based on independent third-party certification or officially recognised public systems. This measure is intended to prevent the use of self-declared or unverified “green” labels that could mislead consumers.
The directive also amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive to explicitly classify certain misleading environmental practices as unfair, providing enforcement authorities with clearer grounds for action.
In addition, the directive strengthens consumer rights by obliging traders to provide clear and reliable information on product durability and repairability, whenever such details are already required or available under Union law, before consumers make a purchase.
Businesses must disclose, among other things, the existence of commercial guarantees of durability and relevant repair information, where applicable, and must not mislead consumers about product durability, repairability or practices that contribute to premature obsolescence, including misleading claims relating to software updates.
Together, the Right to Repair Directive and the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive mark a significant step forward in strengthening consumer rights, improving product durability and ensuring clearer and more reliable environmental information across the European Union.
To help local traders better understand these new legal requirements, the Office for Consumer Affairs at the MCCAA is holding an information webinar on Tuesday, May 12 during which both directives will be explained and discussed in detail.
Traders who require further information or wishing to register for the webinar are encouraged to contact the MCCAA on its website.
Odette Vella is director, Information, Education and Research, Office for Consumer Affairs, MCCAA.
