Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The European Commission has proposed new consumer protection rules in line with the EU’s green transition plans.
“The updated rules will ensure that consumers can make informed and environment-friendly choices when buying their products,” the Commission pointed out in a statement.
“Consumers will have a right to know how long a product is designed to last for and how, if at all, it can be repaired,” the EC noted and added that it will protect consumers from false environmental claims.
Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, expressed a belief that consumers are increasingly interested in products that are repairable and last longer.
“We must ensure that their commitment is not hampered by misleading information,” she added and concluded, “we are giving them strong new tools to make informed choices and increase the sustainability of the products and our economy with this proposal.”
Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice, warned “if we do not start consuming more sustainably, we will not achieve our European Green Deal goals – it is as simple as that.”
He warned that the number of companies using planned obsolescence practices is increasing and stressed the importance of providing consumers with accurate information about products to help them make sustainable choices.
“They must also be protected against unfair commercial practices which abuse their interest in buying green,” Reynders concluded.
The EC pointed out that, according to its proposed amendments to the Consumer Rights Directive, companies would be obligated to provide information about the repairability and durability of their products.
It stressed that sellers must inform consumers about any guarantees provided by producers and lack thereof.
“The seller must also provide relevant information on repairs, such as the reparability score (where applicable), or other relevant repair information made available by the producer such as the availability of spare parts or a repair manual,” the Commission added.
Failure to inform consumers about planned obsolescence methods used in the making of products with the aim of limiting their durability is to be added to the list of banned business practices according to the proposal.
The same goes for exaggerating the positive environmental effects of products and falsely labeling them as “environmentally friendly, eco or green.”
The EU Parliament and Council are to discuss the Commission’s proposal.
