Bicycles in European ‘right to repair’ scope

Members of European parliament (MEPS) have adopted measures to stimulate consumers to repair products instead of buying new ones. First presented by the EU Commission in March, the scope of the ‘right to repair’ proposal has also been extended to include bicycles. It aims to ensure favourable conditions for an independent repair market and prevent manufacturers from hindering repairs.

The ‘Right to Repair’ proposal has now been adopted by Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee and passed a vote in favour at the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg in November. The proposal aims to boost repairs during and beyond a product’s legal guarantee period and promote a new repair culture in products including bicycles.

Objective: Reducing waste

According to the European Commission, the premature disposal of viable consumer goods generates 261 million tons of CO 2-equivalent emissions, uses 30 million tonnes of resources and results in 35 million tonnes of waste in the EU every year. At the same time, consumers opting for replacement instead of repair lose approximately €12 billion per year. The right to repair proposal, which the Parliament has been calling for over a decade, complements other EU initiatives that pursue the European Green Deal objective of sustainable consumption and circular economy, namely the Ecodesign regulation and the directive on Empowering consumers for the green transition.

Repair versus replace

Bicycles are named in the proposal alongside household products such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Producers of these products would be obliged to repair products even if they fall outside of the scope of a legal guarantee. To encourage this, MEPs want repairs to be carried out in a reasonable timeframe and producers to be able to offer replacement devices for loan to consumers. If a product cannot be fixed, producers could offer a refurbished one instead, MEPs say.

Sellers would be required to offer free repair within the legal guarantee period, except when it is more expensive than replacement, it is factually impossible or it is inconvenient for the consumer, according to the adopted text. MEPs supported incentives for consumers to choose repair over replacement within the liability period, such as extending the legal guarantee by one year for repaired products. MEPs also want member states to promote repair through financial incentives like vouchers and national repair funds.

More transparent and competitive repair market

Independent repairers, refurbishers and end-users would get access to all spare parts, information, and tools at a reasonable cost throughout the lifespan of a product. According to MEPs, this will boost competition, decrease repair costs and give consumers more choice.

“Today we established direct repair obligations for producers and introduce new incentives for consumers to choose repair. We strengthened the role of independent repairers and place them at the centre of improving repair in Europe,” stated lawmaker René Repasi on adoption of the proposal. “Through better access to relevant technical repair information and affordable spare parts for repairers, including promoting 3D printing for parts, more competition will drive down repair costs. We coupled this with an obligation on member states to establish financial incentives to kick-start the repair sector."

Should e-bikes be exempt?

Similar legislation adopted in the US has met with concern from the bicycle industry. People for Bikes, the national trade organisation representing bicycle manufacturers, has reached out to lawmakers and officials in several states to request that e-bikes be made exempt from right to repair bills. The organisation claims those bills aim to make it easier for members of the public to access the parts, tools, and information they need to fix their bicycle equipment. “It’s a matter of safety, and that people without the proper training should not attempt to repair e-bikes—especially not the batteries,” the organisation states. A similar discussion took place earlier 2023 with the implementation Article 11 of the Batteries Regulations in Europe.