EU rules will soon make it easier to get your phone and refrigerator repaired
EU regulations are set to make repairs of items such as large household appliances, mobile phones, and tablets easier for consumers.
It is Minister of Justice Nicolai Wammen (Social Democrats) who has proposed the bill following the EU directive aimed at increasing the incentive to repair products instead of immediately replacing them. (Photo: © Sebastian Elias Uth, Ritzau Scanpix)
By
Ritzau ([email protected]) 15 minutes ago
EU regulations will make repairs of things like large household appliances, mobile phones, and tablets easier for consumers.
A bill designed to make it easier for consumers to get products repaired rather than buying new ones has been read for the first time in the Danish Parliament on Wednesday.
It is Minister of Justice Nicolai Wammen (Social Democrats) who has proposed the bill based on an EU directive intended to promote the repair of goods. The directive was adopted in 2024 and must now be implemented in Denmark.
"We need to make it easier to extend the lifespan of the products we already have. It is good for the consumer, and it is good for the green transition," says Malte Larsen (Social Democrats), who presents the proposal from the parliament's rostrum.
The rules will, among other things, apply to large household appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, and refrigerators and freezers.
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Must not make it unnecessarily difficult
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The directive will also apply to mobile phones, tablets, and data storage products like hard drives.
When a manufacturer is to repair a product, it must, according to the directive, be done either free of charge or at a reasonable price for the consumer. The repair must also be carried out within a reasonable time after the manufacturer has received the item.
What constitutes a reasonable time is not specifically stated in the directive.
The manufacturer must not make it unnecessarily difficult to get the product repaired. This means, among other things, that the manufacturer may not set up contract terms or other requirements that in practice make a repair more difficult.
The directive is a so-called total harmonization directive, meaning it must be implemented in all member states – including Denmark – and that there is no possibility of creating national special rules, unless specifically stated in the directive.
In certain areas, however, member states have the opportunity to make their own choices.
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No extended complaint period
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This applies, among other things, to the question of a longer complaint period if a consumer chooses to have a product repaired, as well as the possibility of allowing national repairers to register on the common European online platform for repairs.
In the bill, the government proposes not to utilize these opportunities. This means, among other things, that Denmark will not extend the complaint period by 12 months if a consumer gets a product repaired.
Denmark did not manage to implement the EU's new Repair Directive before the actual deadline of July 31.
A bill was indeed proposed in June, but it was not finalized before the deadline, and the process also followed in the wake of the parliamentary election in March.
Therefore, the Minister of Justice proposes that the law take effect as soon as it is passed and published.
RITZAU
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