The EU Right to Repair Directive (2024/1799) becomes binding national law across all 27 EU member states by July 31, 2026. Until now, manufacturers could, and routinely did, refuse to sell spare parts to consumers, withhold repair manuals, and void warranties for using independent repairers. All of that changes this summer. This is your practical action guide: what rights you have, how to use them, and what to do when a manufacturer pushes back.
Right #1: Demand the European Repair Information Form
Under the Directive, any manufacturer selling covered products in the EU must provide a European Repair Information Form (ERIF) on request, free of charge and within a reasonable time. This standardised form must include: the estimated repair price, the availability of spare parts, the estimated repair time, and whether the product can be repaired at all.
How to use it: When your product breaks, contact the manufacturer's customer service and explicitly request the European Repair Information Form. Use that phrase, it signals you know your rights and puts the manufacturer on notice. If they claim not to know what it is, cite Directive 2024/1799 Article 5.
Right #2: Buy Spare Parts Directly from the Manufacturer
Manufacturers can no longer restrict spare parts sales to authorised service centres only. You, or any independent repairer you choose, can purchase genuine spare parts directly at prices that are "reasonable and non-discriminatory." That means they cannot charge you 3× what they charge their own service network.
- Batteries, screens, and cameras for smartphones
- Pumps, motors, and control boards for washing machines
- Compressors and thermostats for refrigerators
- Heating elements and fans for ovens and dishwashers
- Suction motors and filters for vacuum cleaners
If a manufacturer refuses to sell you a part or quotes you a price that seems far above what the same part costs in their service network, document it and file a complaint (see Right #5 below).
Right #3: Access Repair Manuals and Diagnostic Tools
Manufacturers must make repair manuals, technical information, and diagnostic tools available, not just to authorised repairers, but to any repairer and, where relevant, to consumers. This includes software-level access: they cannot legally lock diagnostic ports or require proprietary software that only their service network can run.
In practice: Ask for the Service Manual or Repair Manual for your specific model. For appliances, this is often a PDF. For smartphones and laptops, this includes diagnostics apps and battery calibration tools. If the manufacturer's website doesn't list it publicly, request it in writing under the Directive.
Right #4: Your Warranty Stays Valid with Independent Repairers
One of the most important changes: manufacturers cannot void your statutory guarantee (the EU's 2-year legal minimum, longer in many member states) simply because you had your product repaired by an independent repairer rather than an authorised service centre. They also cannot void it because you replaced a part yourself, provided the repair was done correctly.
What this means in practice: If your washing machine breaks six months after an independent repairer fixed the door seal, the manufacturer cannot refuse your guarantee claim by pointing to that earlier repair, unless they can prove the repair caused the new fault. The burden of proof is on them.
| Manufacturer claim | Your response |
|---|---|
| "Your warranty is void because you used a non-authorised repairer" | Cite Directive 2024/1799, this is illegal under EU law from July 2026 |
| "We can only service products repaired by us" | Demand the ERIF; file a complaint if they refuse service under the statutory guarantee |
| "That spare part isn't available for your model" | Request it in writing; escalate to your national consumer authority if refused for a covered product |
| "Our software update voided your repair" | Software updates cannot be used as a mechanism to disable previously functional repairs |
Right #5: Where and How to Complain
When a manufacturer violates these rights, the Directive requires member states to have effective enforcement mechanisms with "dissuasive penalties." Here's your escalation path:
- Start with the manufacturer in writing, cite Directive 2024/1799 and the specific right they're denying. Many will comply rather than risk regulatory scrutiny.
- Contact your national consumer authority (e.g., DECO in Portugal, Which? in the UK post-Brexit, UFC-Que Choisir in France, Verbraucherzentrale in Germany). Each EU member state must designate one under the Directive.
- Use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform (ec.europa.eu/odr) for cross-border purchases from EU-based sellers.
- For systemic violations, e.g., an entire product line where no spare parts are available, report to your national competition authority. Collective consumer claims are now explicitly supported under EU law.
Finding a Repairer: The EU Repair Platform
The Directive mandates a European online repair platform, a searchable directory of repairers, refurbishers, and repair cafés, to make it easy to find qualified repair services near you. This is being built at the EU level and will be live by the July 2026 transposition deadline.
In the meantime, RepairScore's repair shop finder already covers thousands of local repairers across Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium, with more countries being added monthly. Use it to find a trusted independent repairer in your area before the EU platform launches.
Which Products Are Covered, and When
| Product category | Rights apply from | Spare parts availability |
|---|---|---|
| Washing machines & dryers | July 31, 2026 | 10 years from last production date |
| Dishwashers | July 31, 2026 | 10 years from last production date |
| Refrigerators & freezers | July 31, 2026 | 10 years from last production date |
| Displays & televisions | July 31, 2026 | 10 years from last production date |
| Vacuum cleaners | July 31, 2026 | 7 years from last production date |
| Smartphones | July 31, 2026 (Ecodesign) | 5 years from last production date |
| Tablets & laptops | From 2027 (phased) | 5 years from last production date |
| Cameras, audio equipment | Not yet covered | Voluntary or national law only |
Check Your Product's Repairability Score Now
Knowing your rights is one thing, knowing whether your specific product is worth repairing is another. RepairScore analyses 261+ EU products across 10 categories and gives each one a 0–100 repairability score based on spare parts availability, iFixit teardown data, community repair reports, and product age. High scores (70+) mean you should almost always repair. Low scores (below 40) might mean the manufacturer has made repair deliberately difficult, in which case your new rights matter even more.