The temporary EU law provides an additional 12 months warranty for devices after repair
The European Council and the European Parliament agreed on another regulation of the technology market as they created a temporary EU law, more precisely a version of the directive on the right to repair, which gives customers an additional 12 months of warranty on devices after repair. The directive presents several key aspects, in addition to allowing additional months of warranty, it implies that device manufacturers will have to offer spare parts at “reasonable” prices and will be obliged to accept used or spare parts for the 3D printer.
These are actually changes to the rules within the EU on unfair business practices, which the European Parliament voted on last summer and then drafted a directive. Now that version is harmonized with the requirements of the European Council, and some of the changes should affect Serbia as well, since countries that are not members of the EU have certain obligations to harmonize legislation with that of this block of countries.
Until the temporary EU law becomes the real one that is legally binding, i.e. putting its provisions into the actual law, it will take some time, but it is a step in the right direction, at least when it comes to consumers. For manufacturers and companies, this may not be the case.
With the new rules, the European Union will order manufacturers to carry out the necessary repairs of devices within a “reasonable” period, while preserving the right of consumers to choose between repair and replacement for defective products that are still under warranty.
ShutterstockIn addition, a standardized European form for repair information will be established, which will be free of charge, something that will greatly help small service shops to communicate with customers. The Union will also open a European online repair platform, which will detail repair services in EU member states.
One of the similar moves of this state bloc in the regulation of the technology market, which, as it seems, is not as free as some economists like to point out, was the adoption of a new law on replaceable batteries. Under this law, all phones sold in the EU by 2027, including the iPhone, will have to have batteries that can be easily replaced by users, without tools or special knowledge.
Another example of similar regulation is the fight between the European Union and the Apple company regarding the introduction of USB-C chargers for iPhone phones, in which the EU won, so we have a novelty on these phones from the 15th iPhone generation.