Right to repair: what could change in France from July 31st onwards

As of July 31, 2026, an important new stage of the right to repair must be achieved in the European Union. Adopted in June 2024, European Directive 2024/1799 aims to encourage the repair of consumer goods, limit waste, and combat premature product obsolescence.

For consumers, the objective is simple: make repair more accessible and more attractive to prevent a still-repairable device from being replaced too quickly.

A directive to extend the lifespan of products

Every year, millions of home appliances, phones, computers, and televisions are replaced when they could, in many cases, be repaired.

According to the European Commission, this situation represents a significant economic cost but also considerable environmental impact, with several tens of millions of tons of waste produced annually within the Union.

The European directive notably provides for:

• an obligation for certain manufacturers to repair products when technically repairable, including in some situations after the expiration of the legal warranty;
• better consumer information through a European form indicating in particular the price, timelines, and conditions of repair;
• the development of a more transparent repair and reconditioning market;
• the creation, by July 2027, of a European platform to easily find repairers, refurbished product sellers, or local repair initiatives.

A deadline set for July 31

The directive requires Member States to transpose these new rules into their national law before July 31, 2026.

However, to date, the situation in France remains unclear. While the European objective is now known, the national texts enabling its effective application do not appear to have yet been published in the Official Journal.

In other words, France is required to bring its law into compliance with the European directive, but the precise terms of this transposition will need to be confirmed by the French authorities.

France already engaged in repair

However, the right to repair is not entirely new in France.

For several years, the country has implemented several measures designed to encourage more sustainable consumption, including the repairability index, displayed on certain electronic and household appliances, as well as the repair bonus, which helps reduce the cost of certain interventions performed by certified repairers.

The future transposition of the European directive will complement this measure by further harmonizing rules across the European Union.

An economic and environmental issue

Beyond consumer protection, the right to repair also constitutes an industrial and ecological issue.

By promoting repair rather than the systematic replacement of appliances, the European Union hopes to reduce consumption of raw materials, limit emissions related to the manufacture of new products, and support repair professionals.

The coming days will show whether France will publish the texts necessary to fully implement this new stage of European right to repair.

Nice Premium will follow the progress of this matter and will return to the measures that will actually come into effect for French consumers upon their official publication.