The EU Right to Repair Directive (2024/1799) requires all 27 EU member states to transpose it into national law by July 31, 2026. Once enacted, manufacturers across Europe must offer affordable spare parts, publish repair manuals, and stop using software or hardware locks to block independent repair. But the Directive sets minimum standards, individual countries can go further, and many already have stronger warranty or repair rights on the books.
The EU Baseline: What Everyone Gets from July 2026
- 2-year legal guarantee on all consumer goods (seller's responsibility, not manufacturer's)
- Right to request repair instead of replacement during the guarantee period
- 12-month guarantee extension on any item repaired under the Right to Repair Directive
- Manufacturers must supply spare parts for 5–10 years after product discontinuation
- Standardised European Repair Information Form, comparable repair cost estimates on demand
- Manufacturers cannot use software locks or 'parts pairing' to block independent repair
- Refurbished products sold in EU must carry a minimum 12-month guarantee
- EU member states must establish or designate an online repair matching platform
Country-by-Country Overview
The table below shows the legal guarantee period, any notable national extensions, and the primary consumer protection authority in each EU member state.
| Country | Legal Guarantee | Notable Extensions / Stronger Rights | Consumer Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇹 Austria | 2 years | No major extension. Strong enforcement via courts. | Arbeiterkammer (AK) / VKI |
| 🇧🇪 Belgium | 2 years | Right to repair or replacement from day 1; consumer chooses which. | CPBS / Test-Achats |
| 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. National transposition expected by mid-2026. | Commission for Consumer Protection (KZP) |
| 🇭🇷 Croatia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Croatian Competition Agency / HAKOM |
| 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Consumer Protection Service |
| 🇨🇿 Czechia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. Active national repair café network. | Czech Trade Inspection Authority (ČOI) |
| 🇩🇰 Denmark | 2 years (extendable to 5 years for durable goods) | Sellers can be liable for up to 5 years for goods expected to last longer. Strong independent repair sector. | Consumer Ombudsman (Forbrugerombudsmanden) |
| 🇪🇪 Estonia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. High digital literacy, strong DIY repair culture. | Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) |
| 🇫🇮 Finland | 2 years (extendable up to 6 years for durable goods) | Sellers may be liable for 3–6 years depending on product longevity. Consumer Disputes Board resolves most cases without court. | Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA / KKV) |
| 🇫🇷 France | 2 years | Repairability Index (Indice de réparabilité) since 2021, mandatory score displayed at point of sale for electronics. Bonus Réparation scheme (cash subsidy of €10–€45 for repairs). France is the EU's repair rights leader. | DGCCRF / Que Choisir |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 2 years | Practical durability standard: goods must last as long as consumers reasonably expect. Strong consumer courts (Verbraucherzentrale). Active R2R advocacy groups. | Verbraucherzentrale (state-level) |
| 🇬🇷 Greece | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | General Secretariat for Consumer Affairs |
| 🇭🇺 Hungary | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Budapest Metropolitan Government Consumer Protection Department |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | 6 years | Irish Sale of Goods Act provides up to 6 years for claiming faulty goods, one of the longest in the EU. | Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | 2 years | Consumer can choose between repair, replacement, price reduction, or rescission. Active enforcement via Codice del Consumo. | AGCM (Antitrust and Consumer Authority) |
| 🇱🇻 Latvia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) |
| 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (VVTAT) |
| 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. Small market with high average product prices, repair often more cost-effective. | Service National de la Jeunesse, ULC |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | MCCAA Consumer Affairs |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 2 years (extendable, 'reasonable lifetime' standard) | Dutch courts use a 'reasonable lifetime' standard: a washing machine expected to last 10 years may carry liability for most of that period. Strong consumer law enforcement. | Consumentenbond / ACM |
| 🇵🇱 Poland | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. Large domestic appliance market, high repair demand. | UOKiK (Office of Competition and Consumer Protection) |
| 🇵🇹 Portugal | 3 years | Portugal extended the legal guarantee to 3 years in 2022 (ahead of most EU peers). Strong Repair Café network. RepairScore is based in Porto. | DECO / ASAE |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | ANPC (National Authority for Consumer Protection) |
| 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Slovak Trade Inspection (SOI) |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 2 years | Baseline EU rights. | Market Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia (TIRS) |
| 🇪🇸 Spain | 3 years | Spain extended the legal guarantee to 3 years in 2022. Seller must prove the fault was not present at purchase for the first 2 years. | AECOSAN / OCU |
| 🇸🇪 Sweden | 3 years | Sweden's Consumer Sales Act provides 3 years of liability for defects. Strong consumer court system (Allmänna reklamationsnämnden / ARN). | Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) |
The Standout Countries: France, Ireland, and the Nordics
Three groups of countries have gone furthest in consumer repair rights:
France: The EU's Repair Pioneer
France introduced the Repairability Index (Indice de réparabilité) in January 2021, a mandatory 0–10 score displayed on electronics at the point of sale, covering smartphones, laptops, TVs, washing machines, and lawnmowers. As of December 2024, this became the Durability Index (Indice de durabilité), adding criteria for robustness and reliability. The Bonus Réparation scheme offers consumers €10–€45 cashback when getting a product repaired by a certified repairer, directly subsidised by manufacturers.
Ireland and the Long Warranty Tradition
Ireland's Sale of Goods Act provides up to 6 years for claiming faulty goods, the longest statutory period in the EU. This means an Irish consumer can successfully claim against a retailer for a fridge that fails after 4 years, which would be beyond the warranty period in most other member states. Combined with the EU Directive from July 2026, Irish consumers have some of the strongest repair and warranty protections in the world.
The Nordics: 'Reasonable Lifetime' Standard
Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands apply a 'reasonable lifetime' or 'expected durability' standard rather than a fixed number of years. A washing machine sold in Sweden carries an implicit expectation of lasting 8–10 years. If it fails after 4 years with no misuse, courts and consumer arbitration bodies routinely uphold claims, without any fixed 2-year cutoff. This approach is more consumer-friendly for durable goods like appliances, but requires more effort to enforce.
Portugal and Spain: 3-Year Pioneers
Both Portugal and Spain extended their legal guarantees to 3 years in 2022, ahead of the EU Directive deadline. For RepairScore users based in these countries, this means an extra year of mandatory seller liability, and the seller must disprove the defect was present at purchase for the full first 2 years (reversed burden of proof). You don't need to prove anything during the first 2 years: the seller must show the fault was your fault.
When the Directive Kicks In: The July 31, 2026 Timeline
Not all 27 member states will have transposed the Directive on exactly the same date. Some will move early (France, Germany, and the Netherlands are likely first movers), others will transpose at the deadline or slightly after. The EU Commission can take member states to court for late transposition, but this process takes time.
- Before July 2026: Your current national rights apply, use RepairScore's Rights page to check your guarantee period.
- From July 31, 2026: Manufacturers are bound by the full Directive, you can demand repair, a Repair Information Form, and extended 12-month post-repair guarantee in all 27 member states.
- After 2026: Watch for national implementations that go further, France, Germany, and the Nordics are expected to add national repair subsidy schemes.
How to Use Your Rights Today
- Check the RepairScore for any product before buying, a higher score means more spare parts, longer support, and lower long-term cost.
- Use the template letters on the RepairScore Rights page to formally assert your warranty rights.
- Search the EU Repair Matching Platform directory for certified repairers in your country (live from July 2026 in most member states).
- Look for the French Repairability Index score if buying in France, it's mandatory and printed on the product packaging.
- In the Nordics and Netherlands, don't accept a refusal based on '2 years have passed', ask the seller to confirm the product's expected lifetime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the EU Right to Repair Directive apply to products bought before July 2026?
The Directive applies to products sold after national transposition. For products bought before July 2026, your existing national warranty law applies. However, the manufacturer obligations for spare parts and repair information apply to all currently sold products, not just new post-Directive purchases.
What if my country hasn't transposed the Directive by July 2026?
EU Directives are binding on member states. If a government misses the transposition deadline, it faces infringement proceedings from the European Commission. In the meantime, you may still be able to directly invoke EU Directive rights in court in some jurisdictions, this is called 'direct effect' and varies by country. Check with your national consumer protection authority.
Does the Directive cover smartphones and laptops?
Smartphones are covered from July 2026 under the existing EU Ecodesign regulation (Commission Regulation 2023/1669). Laptops and tablets are phased in from 2027. The Right to Repair Directive itself applies to all products covered by EU Ecodesign regulations at the time of transposition.