Ten Years of Spare Parts: Europe's Repair Mandate Redraws the Line Between Buying and Fixing

Manufacturers selling into the European Union can no longer treat the end of the warranty as the end of their obligations. Under Directive 2024/1799 on common rules promoting the repair of goods, which has applied since 31 July 2026, producers must offer repairs even after the guarantee has lapsed, provided the product is technically repairable. Brussels and national legislators want to curb the premature scrapping of working devices and push the bloc toward a circular economy.

What producers now owe

Repairs have to be carried out at a reasonable price and within a proportionate timeframe — or, where appropriate, free of charge. Refusing is permissible only when a fix is technically impossible; the cost of parts alone does not justify turning a customer away. Spare parts and tools must be made available to independent workshops and consumers at affordable prices, and indicative prices published on a website.

The ten-year clock is central: manufacturers must keep spare parts and diagnostic tools available for a full decade. Independent repair businesses get access to the same manuals and diagnostic equipment as in-house service operations. Contractual clauses, along with hardware and software locks that block third-party spare parts, compatible components or 3D-printed parts, are prohibited.

Design rules point in the same direction — standard screws instead of adhesive, batteries and displays that are easy to swap. And if a consumer chooses a repair rather than a replacement while still inside the legal guarantee period, that guarantee is extended by twelve months.

Which products are covered

The scope initially covers a defined set of product groups: smartphones, tablets, cordless phones, large household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and dryers, plus televisions, monitors, vacuum cleaners, welding equipment, servers and batteries for e-bikes and e-scooters. The list is meant to grow in stages.

For German buyers, the right to a manufacturer repair has existed since the end of July 2026 even when the purchase was made years ago. Until now, that route usually closed once the two-year statutory guarantee expired.

Other member states are moving at their own pace. Italy's government issued Decree 176/2026 on 25 September 2026, which took effect on 22 October 2026. The country's competition authority, AGCM, can fine violations between 5,000 and 50,000 euros, with the amount doubling for repeat offences. For smartphones, the Italian obligation runs for seven years after the last unit of a model is placed on the market — including devices bought before 31 July 2026.

Latvia is still preparing implementing legislation, which would set a maximum three-year guarantee period when a consumer opts for repair; there, the terms of the European Repair Information Form are to remain binding for at least 30 days.

The gaps that remain

Consumer bodies such as the Dutch Consumentenbond point out that rollout is gradual and that laptops and coffee machines are not yet covered by the core obligations. The legally vague notion of a "reasonable price" for spare parts is seen as another weak spot, leaving room for interpretation.

On the revamped EU energy labels for smartphones and tablets, a repair score from A to E, marked with a screwdriver symbol, will offer guidance. A central European repair platform is not yet up and running; in Latvia, its construction is expected by 31 July 2027. EU authorities also caution that do-it-yourself repairs on high-voltage components, power supplies, gas appliances or batteries carry significant safety risks.