In news- European Parliament recently voted in favour of establishing stronger “right to repair” rules.
Key updates-
- Under the new EU rules, manufacturers will have to ensure spare parts are available for up to a decade, though some will only be provided to professional repair companies to ensure they are installed correctly.
- Hence companies that sell consumer electronics in the European Union and in the UK will need to ensure those goods can be repaired for up to 10 years.
- These rules help reduce electrical waste, which has been increasing due to greater manufacturing.
- New devices will also have to come with repair manuals and be made in such a way that they can be dismantled using conventional tools when they really can’t be fixed anymore, to improve recycling.
- The next step is to extend the ambit of the law to cover IT hardware — cellphones, laptops and the like which are responsible for a large amount of e-waste.
- Sweden has made repairs and spare parts subject to lower value-added tax.
- The new seven-step scale from A to G will be complemented by a QR code that provides consumers with further information, such as how loud the devices are.
Source: Indian Express
