Close Menu
    Latest Category
    • Finance
    • Tech
    • EU Law
    • Energy
    • About
    • Contact
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Login
    • EU News
    • Focus
    • Guides
    • Press
    • Jobs
    • Events
    • Directory
    EUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politicsEUbusiness.com | EU news, business and politics
    Home » EU Parliament calls for longer lifetime for products

    EU Parliament calls for longer lifetime for products

    npsBy nps4 July 2017 No Comments3 Mins Read
    — Filed under: Consumer Environment EU News Headline
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
    EU Parliament calls for longer lifetime for products

    Washing machine motor

    (STRASBOURG) – Europe’s Parliament called on the Commission, Member States and producers Tuesday to take measures to ensure consumers can enjoy durable, high-quality products that can be repaired and upgraded.

    At their plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs said tangible goods and software should be easier to repair and update, and made a plea to tackle built-in obsolescence and make spare parts affordable.

    77 per cent of EU consumers would rather repair their goods than buy new ones, according to a 2014 Eurobarometer survey, but they ultimately have to replace or discard them because they are discouraged by the cost of repairs and the level of service provided.

    “We must reinstate the reparability of all products put on the market,” said Parliament’s rapporteur Pascal Durand MEP: “We have to make sure that batteries are no longer glued into a product, but are screwed in so that we do not have to throw away a phone when the battery breaks down. We need to make sure that consumers are aware of how long the products last and how they can be repaired”.

    Parliament wants to promote a longer product lifespan, in particular by tackling programmed obsolescence for tangible goods and for software.

    Its recommendations include:

    • robust, easily repairable and good quality products: “minimum resistance criteria” to be established for each product category from the design stage,
    • if a repair takes longer than a month, the guarantee should be extended to match the repair time,
    • member states should give incentives to produce durable and repairable products, boosting repairs and second-hand sales – this could help to create jobs and reduce waste,
    • consumers should have the option of going to an independent repairer: technical, safety or software solutions which prevent repairs from being performed, other than by approved firms or bodies, should be discouraged,
    • essential components, such as batteries and LEDs, should not be fixed into products, unless for safety reasons,
    • spare parts which are indispensable for the proper and safe functioning of the goods should be made available “at a price commensurate with the nature and life-time of the product”,
    • an EU-wide definition of “planned obsolescence” and a system that could test and detect the “built-in obsolescence” should be introduced, as well as “appropriate dissuasive measures for producers”.

    The Parliament is asking the Commission to consider a “voluntary European label” covering, in particular, the product’s durability, eco-design features, upgradeability in line with technical progress and reparability.

    MEPs also propose creating a “usage meter” for the most relevant consumer products, in particular large electrical appliances, to ensure better information for consumers.

    Further information, European Parliament

    Resolution on a longer lifetime for products: benefits for consumers and companies

    Study on “A longer lifetime for products: benefits for consumers and companies”

    EP Research – Planned obsolescence: Exploring the issue

    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    You must be logged in to post a comment.

    nps
    • Website

    Related Content

    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Euro continues to hold its ground – Euro currency news daily

    CCBE logo

    Legal Advisor, Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe, CCBE

    Chemical production nature clouds - Image by andreas N from Pixabay

    EU to set up Critical Chemical Alliance

    Bulgaria euro - Photo © European Union 2025

    Bulgaria takes its place as 21st member of the eurozone

    Cars CO2 emissions- Photo by Alexey Demidov on Pexels

    Brussels seeks views on CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, car labelling

    EU agenda - Image by Andreas Lischka from Pixabay

    EU Agenda: Week Ahead – 6-12 July 2025

    LATEST EU NEWS
    Euro - ECB-Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

    Euro continues to hold its ground – Euro currency news daily

    9 July 2025
    Chemical production nature clouds - Image by andreas N from Pixabay

    EU to set up Critical Chemical Alliance

    8 July 2025
    Bulgaria euro - Photo © European Union 2025

    Bulgaria takes its place as 21st member of the eurozone

    8 July 2025
    Cars CO2 emissions- Photo by Alexey Demidov on Pexels

    Brussels seeks views on CO2 emission standards for cars and vans, car labelling

    7 July 2025
    Farming soyabean - Image by Loren King from Pixabay

    Brussels authorises use of safe genetically modified soybean as food and animal feed

    4 July 2025

    Subscribe to EUbusiness Week

    Get the latest EU news

    CONTACT INFO

    • EUbusiness Ltd 117 High Street, Chesham Buckinghamshire, HP5 1DE United Kingdom
    • +44(0)20 8058 8232
    • service@eubusiness.com

    INFORMATION

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Info

    Services

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms
    • EU News

    SOCIAL MEDIA

    Facebook
    eubusiness.com © EUbusiness Ltd 2025

    Design and developed by : 

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Sign In or Register

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below.

    Lost password?