The European Commission is preparing a legislative proposal on the Right to Repair, headed “Sustainable consumption of goods – promoting repair and reuse”. The overall goal of the initiative is to extend the time during which consumers use the product before discarding it. 

This initiative promotes more sustainable usage of goods throughout their useful life. It will encourage consumers to make more sustainable choices by providing incentives and tools to use goods for a longer time, including by repairing defective goods. This means promoting repair over replacement within the legal liability period, making it easier for consumers to repair products and promoting the use of second-hand/refurbished goods. 

It will contribute to reducing unsustainable consumption and its negative impact on the global environment and climate, and help build a circular economy.

The initiative is set to be adopted in the third quarter of 2022. The public consultation and call for evidence are currently ongoing and will run until 5 April 2022.