NEWS     18.03.2026

European Union Right to Repair Directive   

Product compliance in the European Union (EU) is no longer limited to placing goods on the single market. It now extends to how products are maintained and supported throughout their lifecycle. The EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive) introduces new obligations affecting not only retailers and service providers, but also manufacturers and importers supplying consumer goods to the EU. Its objective is to make the repair of goods more accessible and realistic in practice, including across international supply chains.

Under the new rules, repairs must be available for certain categories of goods even after the legal guarantee period has expired, unless technically or legally impossible. The Directive applies mainly to products that are already subject to EU reparability requirements under other legislation, such as Ecodesign rules covering selected appliances, electronic displays, smartphones, and similar products.

Repair Obligations and Lifecycle Service Requirements

For companies operating in B2B supply chains, the impact is less about individual consumer claims and more about long-term ability to offer after-sale services and lifecycle planning. Where the Directive applies, manufacturers must be able to offer repair for the relevant products for as long as the EU requirements concerning repair remain in force and a repair is still technically possible. Repairs do not have to be free beyond the legal guarantee period, but pricing must be reasonable. In practice, this means companies placing products on the EU market may need to maintain repair capacity, spare-parts supply, and technical support for longer than before.

Although the Directive imposes the repair obligation primarily on the manufacturer, the practical effect is broader. If the manufacturer is established outside the EU, the obligation may be fulfilled by an authorised representative, importer, or ultimately, distributor established in the EU. In real situations customers usually approach EU operators first. If repairs cannot be carried out, spare parts are unavailable, or the necessary technical documentation is missing, the importer may face immediate legal risk. Informal guarantees from the manufacturer will probably not be sufficient. Importers increasingly require clear, documented proof that repairs can be performed within the EU.

The Directive also increases transparency around repair conditions. A standard European Repair Information Form can be used by repairers to present key terms such as price or pricing method, expected repair time, and service conditions. While the form is issued by the repairer, the reliability of that information often depends on the manufacturer’s parts logistics and service structure.

Implementation and Impact

For manufacturers outside the EU, one of the first immediate effects is likely to appear within supply contracts. European importers and distributors should already be reviewing agreements to address spare-part availability periods, access to technical documentation and software tools, allocation of repair-related costs, and responsibility for issues identified during servicing. Where these points are not clearly defined, the EU-based importer may bear the initial regulatory exposure and then seek recovery from the manufacturer.

Enforcement details will depend on national implementing laws and the practice of local authorities. Still, it is reasonable to expect that the new framework will be used where repair is refused or delayed, and that cross-border supply chains may involve multiple jurisdictions – for example where goods are manufactured outside the EU, imported through one Member State, and sold in another. This can affect questions of jurisdiction, applicable law, and allocation of repair-related costs between commercial partners.

In practical terms, businesses supplying the EU market should treat repair readiness as part of their compliance planning. This includes verifying whether products fall within EU reparability legislation, ensuring spare parts remain available for the required period, confirming that repair documentation and tools can be provided where needed, and making sure that repairs can be performed within the EU through internal or contracted service networks. Early alignment between manufacturers and EU importers on these issues can prevent disputes and reduce the risk of enforcement problems or supply disruptions once national rules take effect.

EU Member States are required to implement the Directive into their national legal systems by July 31, 2026.

Grzegorz Kłodkowski