Repairing instead of throwing away: Consumers are calling for new EU guidelines!
Repairing instead of throwing away: Consumers are calling for new EU guidelines!
Stendal, Deutschland - Consumers in Germany agree: Repairing is the new trend! A current survey by the Saxony-Anhalt Consumer Center shows that a whopping 89 percent of those surveyed would like to see defective devices repaired. However, they are currently facing reality that only around 23 percent of all devices can actually enjoy repair. This is also one of the main reasons why the new EU directive causes so much attention to repair. mdr reported that experts like Susanne Riedel from the consumer center regard this guideline as an important strengthening of consumers.
The guideline, which was recently adopted with an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament, specifies the manufacturers' obligations and sets incentives to maintain the products for longer. Specifically, manufacturers not only have to offer repairs in good time and inexpensively, but also inform their customers about the existing repair options. The European parliamentarians voted for a more environmentally friendly culture on Tuesday with 584 votes on Tuesday should pave.
positive changes for consumers
The innovations include the extension of the liability period for products that are repaired within the warranty period by one year. In addition, manufacturers are encouraged to maintain common products such as washing machines and smartphones even after the warranty has expired. A European online platform is also set up to help consumers find repair companies and sellers of general overhauled devices. The EU Commission sees an answer to the urging of citizens after more environmentally friendly solutions.But not only manufacturers are responsible. Member States are also required to implement measures such as repair vouchers or information campaigns. This could help save the approximately 12 billion euros that consumers lose annually through new purchases instead of repairs. The focus is also on generating the requirements of the EU to generate at least 4.8 billion euros in growth and investments in the economy.
The voice of the repair cafés
In this context, Dietrich Zosel from the Repair-Café also expresses itself very positively about the new developments that will benefit consumers. At the same time, he also brings concerns: "High costs for spare parts are a major obstacle when repairing," says Zosel and suggests extending the warranty times in order to motivate manufacturers to repair their devices more.
The positive voices from the consumer protection corner and the promising changes in European law could have proven to be ready for a culture of repair, which not only saves costs, but also protects the environment. In the next two years, the new regulations could actually mean that we will no longer throw everything away in the future, but simply repair it - and that will help everyone to live more environmentally conscious.
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| Ort | Stendal, Deutschland |
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