We advertise durability or repairability

Durability and repair are now part of the consumer rules on commercial practices. Directive (EU) 2024/825 added durability, reparability and recyclability to the main characteristics in Article 6(1)(b) of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive, Directive 2005/29/EC, on which a practice can mislead. It also added practices that are unfair in all circumstances: falsely claiming that a good has a certain durability in usage time or intensity under normal conditions of use (Annex I point 23g), presenting a good as allowing repair when it does not (point 23h), and withholding information that non-original consumables, spare parts or accessories impair functionality, or falsely claiming that they do (point 23j). Member States apply these rules from 27 September 2026 (Directive (EU) 2024/825 Article 4(1)).^[1][2]

The recitals explain the examples. A washing machine advertised for a number of washing cycles that it does not reach under the prescribed conditions is a false durability claim (recital 20), and presenting products as allowing repair when repair is not possible is banned (recital 21). Producers are generally expected to know whether such claims are true, while sellers should rely on reliable information from the producer or an authority.^[2]

Directive (EU) 2024/825 also amended the Consumer Rights Directive, Directive 2011/83/EU. Before a contract, the trader gives the reparability score where applicable, or otherwise, where the producer makes it available, information on spare parts, their cost, repair instructions and repair restrictions; and information on a producer's commercial guarantee of durability and on the software update period (Articles 5(1) and 6(1) as amended).^[2]

The Right to Repair Directive, Directive (EU) 2024/1799, applies from 31 July 2026 (Article 22). For goods with repairability requirements under the Union acts in Annex II, the manufacturer must repair on the consumer's request, to the extent those acts set repairability requirements, free of charge or for a reasonable price, unless repair is impossible (Articles 1(3) and 5(1) and (2)). The obligation covers defects outside the seller's liability (Article 1(2)). Spare parts and tools must be offered at a reasonable price (Article 5(4)), indicative repair prices must be on a free website (Article 5(5)), and techniques that impede repair are prohibited unless justified (Article 5(6)). All Annex II acts except the Batteries Regulation are ecodesign regulations adopted under Directive 2009/125/EC; Delegated Directive (EU) 2026/74 added domestic local space heaters as point 11. The directive also extends the seller's liability by 12 months when repair is chosen as the remedy, for contracts concluded from 31 July 2026 (Articles 16 and 21).^[3][5]

Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, product-specific delegated acts may require a repairability score, a durability score and repair information (Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 Article 7(2)(b)).^[4]