
’Right to repair’ rules for electronics included in EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan
2020-11-16
The European Commission, a group, appointed by governments of the European Union, has adopted what it calls the Circular Economy Action Plan as part of an effort to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Included among the measures are "right to repair" rules for electronic devices.
The European Union has been aggressively pushing for more controls on manufacturers because of what has been described as a throwaway culture in which companies make products that are used once and discarded, or design products with "premature obsolescence."
The EC is also calling for products that are more durable in the first place, so that the need for repairs will not be so common. They also want to see more reusable electronics and devices that can be upgraded rather than tossed away when they become outdated. They would also like to allow consumers more options for returning old electronics, putting the onus on those who make such devices to be more responsible for them after they are no longer usable.