Right to Repair: The EU Directive 2024/1799 Explained
What is the Right to Repair? The EU Right to Repair Directive (EU) 2024/1799 explained: manufacturers' repair obligation, spare parts, the European Repair Information Form, products in scope, timeline to 2026 and the link to the DPP.
Right to Repair: The EU Directive 2024/1799 Explained
Key takeaways
The Right to Repair is a new EU directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1799) designed to make it easier and cheaper for consumers to have faulty products repaired instead of throwing them away. Manufacturers are obliged to repair certain products even after the legal guarantee has expired, to supply spare parts and tools at a reasonable price, and not to obstruct repair through technical or contractual barriers. This is complemented by a standardised European Repair Information Form and a European online repair platform. This article explains what the directive requires, which products are covered, when it applies and why it is closely connected to the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and the ESPR regulation.
If you want to understand the fundamentals of the Digital Product Passport first, we recommend the introductory article Digital Product Passport in 15 Minutes.
What is the Right to Repair?
The Right to Repair (often abbreviated R2R) is set out in Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on common rules promoting the repair of goods. The directive was adopted on 13 June 2024, published in the Official Journal of the EU on 10 July 2024 and entered into force on 31 July 2024. Member States must transpose it into national law by 31 July 2026.
The underlying idea is simple: repair should become the rule, not the exception. Today, consumers throw away many products even when repair would be technically possible, because it is too expensive, too complicated or simply not offered. The directive targets exactly these barriers and strengthens the position of consumers relative to manufacturers and sellers.
An important distinction: the Right to Repair is a directive, not a directly applicable law. Unlike a regulation (such as the PPWR), it must first be transposed into national law by each Member State. Every country therefore adopts its own implementing legislation.
Why the EU is introducing the Right to Repair
The directive is part of the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan. It pursues several goals at once:
- Less waste: Prematurely discarded products cause millions of tonnes of avoidable waste and the loss of valuable raw materials every year.
- Fewer emissions: Manufacturing new devices is far more carbon-intensive than repairing existing ones.
- Stronger consumer rights: Consumers should be free to decide where and on what terms they have their goods repaired.
- A market for repairs: Independent repairers and sellers of refurbished goods should get fair access to spare parts and information.
The Right to Repair therefore complements the ESPR regulation, which sets product-side requirements for durability and repairability. While the ESPR prescribes how repairable a product must be designed, the Right to Repair governs how repair works in practice.
The key rules
The directive bundles several concrete obligations and instruments. The following points summarise the central rules.
Manufacturers’ obligation to repair
For certain products covered by EU repairability requirements, manufacturers must offer repair even after the legal guarantee has expired. The repair must be carried out at a reasonable price and within a reasonable time. If the manufacturer is not established in the EU, this obligation falls on its authorised representative, the importer or the distributor.
Spare parts and tools at fair prices
Manufacturers must make spare parts and repair-related tools available at a reasonable price. They may not obstruct repair through contractual clauses, hardware or software techniques. In particular, they may not prevent independent repairers from using second-hand, compatible or 3D-printed spare parts.
European Repair Information Form
On request, repairers must provide a standardised European Repair Information Form. It makes the key conditions and prices transparent and comparable, so consumers can put different offers side by side. The form is free of charge.
European online repair platform
The EU is establishing a European online platform with national sections. Through it, consumers can find repairers, sellers of refurbished goods and buyers of defective products, and search by location and criteria.
Priority of repair within the guarantee
Within the legal guarantee, repair is reinforced: if a consumer chooses repair over replacement, the guarantee period for the repaired product is extended by a further twelve months. This creates an incentive to actually opt for repair.
Right to Repair: which products are covered?
The repair obligation does not apply to all goods across the board, but to the product groups for which repairability requirements already exist at EU level. These are listed in an annex to the directive and are expanded step by step as new product-specific requirements enter into force under the ESPR.
At the starting point, the scope includes, among others:
- household washing machines and washer-dryers
- dishwashers
- refrigerating and freezing appliances
- electronic displays and televisions
- vacuum cleaners
- servers and data storage products
- smartphones, mobile phones and tablets
The decisive point: the scope grows dynamically. Every time the EU adopts ecodesign and repairability requirements for a new product group, that group also falls under the Right to Repair. For manufacturers, it is therefore worth keeping an eye on the ESPR product working plans.
Right to Repair: when does it apply?
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 13 June 2024 | Adoption of the directive |
| 10 July 2024 | Publication in the Official Journal of the EU |
| 31 July 2024 | Entry into force of the directive |
| 31 July 2026 | Deadline for transposition into national law |
| from 2027 | National sections of the European repair platform available |
Important: For consumers and businesses, the Right to Repair only becomes fully effective with each national transposition. Because details are clarified through national laws and further implementing acts, the current status should be checked regularly.
Right to Repair, ESPR and the Digital Product Passport
The Right to Repair cannot be viewed in isolation. Together with the ESPR and the Digital Product Passport, it forms a coherent system:
- The ESPR defines how repairable a product must be designed (spare part availability, repairability scores, access to repair information).
- The Digital Product Passport is the carrier of this information. It bundles repair manuals, spare part numbers, repairability ratings and contact details and makes them accessible via a QR code on the product.
- The Right to Repair ensures that this information can actually be used, by making repair mandatory on the consumer and repairer side.
In practice this means: the repair information a manufacturer has to keep available for the Right to Repair anyway can be delivered directly through the Digital Product Passport. A company that maintains its product data in a structured way in the DPP meets repair and transparency obligations from a single data source. A platform like myDPP helps to provide this data in a structured, machine-readable form and make it accessible on the product via the GS1 Digital Link.
What should companies do now?
1. Check whether you are affected
Clarify whether your products already fall under EU repairability requirements, or are likely to soon. Keep an eye on the ESPR product working plans.
2. Define a spare parts strategy
Determine which spare parts you will supply, over which periods and at which prices. Check your supply chain for long-term availability.
3. Structure repair information
Capture repair manuals, spare part numbers and repairability data in a structured, machine-readable form. This data often comes from the same sources (ERP, PIM) as the data for the Digital Product Passport.
4. Prepare the Repair Information Form
Set up a process that lets you provide the European Repair Information Form on request quickly and consistently.
5. Integrate repair data into the DPP
Use the Digital Product Passport as the central channel for repair information. This combines the requirements from ESPR, DPP and Right to Repair into a shared data foundation. The DPP implementation checklist helps with a structured approach.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What is the Right to Repair in simple terms?
The Right to Repair is an EU directive designed to make it easier for consumers to have faulty products repaired instead of throwing them away. Manufacturers must repair certain products on request, supply spare parts at fair prices and not obstruct repair.
When does the Right to Repair apply?
The directive entered into force on 31 July 2024. Member States must transpose it into national law by 31 July 2026. It becomes fully effective for consumers and businesses with each national transposition.
Which products does the Right to Repair cover?
It applies to product groups for which repairability requirements exist at EU level, such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerating appliances, displays, vacuum cleaners, servers, and smartphones and tablets. The scope grows with each new product group under the ESPR.
What does the Right to Repair have to do with the Digital Product Passport?
The Digital Product Passport is the digital carrier for repair information such as manuals, spare part numbers and repairability ratings. The information required by the Right to Repair can be provided through the DPP.
Read more
- Right to Repair: national transposition status and what actually applies
- Digital Product Passport in 15 Minutes: What DPP Is and Why the EU Introduces It
- ESPR Regulation: Ecodesign Requirements for Sustainable Products
- PPWR Regulation: The New EU Packaging Regulation Explained
- DPP Implementation: The Checklist for Companies