A measure to be developed in the European Commission provides that products such as refrigerators and washing machines can be repaired up to 10 years after the warranty period. EU wants to bet on sustainability.
The European Commission is discussing a measure that forces appliance manufacturers to repair them for five to ten years after the end of the warranty. According to Jornal de Notícias, the rule will apply to televisions, washers and dryers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators and refrigeration equipment, servers, data storage equipment, and welding equipment.
The customer pays for the repair if it takes place after the end of the guarantee, but the Commission believes that in this way consumers “will always have someone to turn to”, cites JN. The measure still needs to be approved by a majority of MEPs in the European Parliament and accepted unanimously by the European Council. If approved, it must be adopted by all member states within 24 months; otherwise they will be fined.
Even with this measure, manufacturers do not have to repair products after a fixed period for each product or if repair proves impossible. According to JN, repairs will be requested on an electronic platform that will inform the consumer of the places, in their proximity, where the procedures can be carried out.
For the Commission, the measure is “a stimulus to the repair sector” to be more sustainable, quote JN. And it also regulates repairs within the warranty period: if they are cheaper or cost the same as a new product, the repair option must be presented to the customer, who decides which option he prefers. However, if repair is chosen, it must be carried out in an “appropriate period”.
Source: Observadora
