Today, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating mandate on the right to repair. With the vote, MEPs have strengthened the EU Commission's legislative proposal on key points. MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP), member of the Greens/EFA group, fully supports the result:

"The times of the throwaway society are numbered! And it's high time that something changed. For years, my ÖDP party has been fighting for repairable and durable products! Because in Germany alone, over 100,000 tons of appliance waste are produced every year. The vote on the right to repair is therefore a milestone. It paves the way from a resource-intensive throwaway society to a resource-efficient circular economy. Consumer protection will also be significantly strengthened, as manufacturers will be obliged to offer repair options for a large number of products. This is entirely in the interests of EU citizens, as 80% would rather repair their product than buy a new one!"

The obligation of manufacturers to repair their products for a certain period of time is the core of the proposed legislation. Priority should also be given to the repair and not the replacement of a defective product.

As the Greens/EFA Group, we have successfully campaigned to ensure that appliances cannot be repaired solely with spare parts produced by the manufacturer. Repairs should also be offered at a reasonable price for the intended service life of a product - and not just for a limited warranty of short duration.

In concrete terms, this means that manufacturers can be held accountable for artificially high repair prices by having to disclose the true repair costs. This means that consumers are not forced to buy expensive replacement products.

Manuela Ripa is confident that the right to repair will make products more durable again and that their lifespan will no longer be artificially shortened. This would make Europe a leader in the sustainable circular economy and save CO2 emissions at the same time. The future law is also of great importance for a more efficient use of resources.

Next month, the EU Parliament will enter into negotiations with representatives of the member states so that a statutory right to repair can be adopted before the end of the legislative period next year.