The European Green Deal paves the way for reforms aimed at turning Europe into a circular and zero carbon economy. Repairable and longer-lasting products must be part of this strategy, say NGOs united under the Right to Repair and Coolproducts campaigns.
The European Commission has made the transition to a circular economy one of the top priorities under its European Green Deal today. [2]
The document outlines overarching policy priorities for the next five years, which are meant to help Europe reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Waste prevention, eco-design and resource conservation fall under this strategy.
Right to Repair and Coolproducts campaigners welcomed the announcement with cautious optimism. They praised the Commission for finally shifting the policy focus from recycling to prevention, and welcomed the reference to the “Right to Repair” (See table below for more details).
However, they called on EU officials to fully acknowledge the need for the Right to Repair and to come up with concrete measures and objectives to make it reality.
More details are expected in the course of 2020, when the Commission will launch its second Circular Economy Action Plan and the 2020-2024 Ecodesign Working Plan. From a strategy to address textile pollution to laws making our smartphones and laptops last longer, the expectations are high.
On behalf of the Right to Repair and Coolproducts campaigns, Jean-Pierre Schweitzer from the European Environmental Bureau said:
“The Green Deal gives EU institutions a political mandate to put forward ambitious reforms upon which the future of Europe relies. Now the European Commission must present concrete measures to make the transition to a circular and zero carbon economy reality. The Right to Repair must be part of this strategy.
We welcome that the Right to Repair is mentioned in the strategy, but there should be no question about its relevance in the fight against the climate and environmental crisis.
The Right to Repair is essential to ensure that products last longer and to avoid waste as well as reduce the increasing emissions linked to manufacturing.”
The Right to Repair movement achieved its first victory this year, when the European Commission approved the first-ever set of repairability requirements for some products, mostly large home appliances and TVs. [3] But much more is needed to make the Right to Repair truly universal. In the coming years, campaigners will push for: [4]
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Good design to ensure all products can be easily repairable. The EU must set minimum manufacturing requirements allowing the disassembly of products and replacement of key parts. Consumers and independent repairers should also be granted access to spare parts and repair manuals for the entire lifetime of a product;
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Fair and affordable access to repair services to ensure they become the default option for consumers;
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A European wide label indicating the repairability of a product to keep consumers informed.
Below is an assessment of the most relevant paragraphs concerning the circular economy and the right to repair within the Green Deal.
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