Cell phones, vacuum cleaners & co.

Right to repair: EU states give the green light

The EU member states have given the green light for the so-called "right to repair" directive. This was announced by the Belgian Council Presidency on Wednesday on the online platform X (formerly: Twitter).

At the beginning of February, the EU Parliament and the Council (of the EU Member States) agreed on a compromise text to this effect. In future, appliances such as cell phones, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and dishwashers will have to be repaired in the EU if the customer requests it.

The automotive sector is excluded from the scope of application. Headphones are also exempt for the time being. After the EU ambassadors of the 27 states approved the text of the directive on Wednesday, it now only needs the final approval of the European Parliament. The Parliament is expected to vote on it at the end of April.