Table 2. Policy initiatives in the EU... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2.

Policy initiatives in the EU member states supporting consumer electronics and electrical device repair

	Policy measure	Aim	Limitations
Purchase	1. Durability and repairability labels	It seeks to extent the current reparability index with criteria for robustness and upgradeability in France	Currently under preparation, it will cover a limited category of products, and the manufacturers will calculate scores
Use-phase	2. Warranty extensions	Some countries have extended the legal consumer warranty period that covers not just electronics, e.g. Sweden	No harmonisation between member states may lead to an unequal market and a race to the bottom
	3. Repair vouchers	Reducing repair costs and incentivising repairs for consumers, already implemented nationally in Austria and regionally in many German cities	Planned as a temporary measure, relying on tax resources for funding
	4. Repair funds within extended producers responsibility	Encouraging repairable design with eco-modulation of fees and incentivising repair for consumers with subsidies	Only implemented in France; covering limited product categories and only qualified repair services; offers only a small price reduction for repairs
	5. VAT reduction for repair services	Targeting Europe’s high taxes on labour-intensive repair	Only a few member states have reduced tax for repair services, and they do not cover consumer electronics or the VAT on spare parts
	6. Supporting repair hubs and community repair	Financially supporting fab labs and repair cafés in various cities	These initiatives are often available only in urban settings
Repair culture and repair infrastructure	7. Educational programmes focused on repair skills	Some countries, like Finland, include repair training in school curricula	It may be difficult to find educators who can teach these skills
Repair culture and repair infrastructure	8. Allowing harvesting spare parts	Some cities support collaboration between recycling facilities and repair initiatives to recover and reuse spare parts	These initiatives are often available only in urban settings. The current waste regulations often hinder parts harvesting

	Policy measure	Aim	Limitations
Purchase	1. Durability and repairability labels	It seeks to extent the current reparability index with criteria for robustness and upgradeability in France	Currently under preparation, it will cover a limited category of products, and the manufacturers will calculate scores
Use-phase	2. Warranty extensions	Some countries have extended the legal consumer warranty period that covers not just electronics, e.g. Sweden	No harmonisation between member states may lead to an unequal market and a race to the bottom
	3. Repair vouchers	Reducing repair costs and incentivising repairs for consumers, already implemented nationally in Austria and regionally in many German cities	Planned as a temporary measure, relying on tax resources for funding
	4. Repair funds within extended producers responsibility	Encouraging repairable design with eco-modulation of fees and incentivising repair for consumers with subsidies	Only implemented in France; covering limited product categories and only qualified repair services; offers only a small price reduction for repairs
	5. VAT reduction for repair services	Targeting Europe’s high taxes on labour-intensive repair	Only a few member states have reduced tax for repair services, and they do not cover consumer electronics or the VAT on spare parts
	6. Supporting repair hubs and community repair	Financially supporting fab labs and repair cafés in various cities	These initiatives are often available only in urban settings
Repair culture and repair infrastructure	7. Educational programmes focused on repair skills	Some countries, like Finland, include repair training in school curricula	It may be difficult to find educators who can teach these skills
Repair culture and repair infrastructure	8. Allowing harvesting spare parts	Some cities support collaboration between recycling facilities and repair initiatives to recover and reuse spare parts	These initiatives are often available only in urban settings. The current waste regulations often hinder parts harvesting

Source(s):

Authors’ own work, adapted from Dalhammar and Maitre-Ekern (2024)