If in France, we have the repairability index, the inhabitants of New York will soon benefit from a real “right to repairability”. A measure also in preparation in Europe.
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This is a first in the United States. New York State passed a law called Fair Repair Act which transforms the repair of electronic objects into a right. In other words, it obliges all manufacturers selling such objects in the State to provide tools, spare parts and repair manuals to independent repairers as well as to individuals. These new measures, which Governor Kathy Hochul must sign, will come into effect in a year.
Unsurprisingly, this vote gives a smile to those who defend a more sustainable tech market, since the law will encourage consumers to delay the renewal of their devices. An enthusiastic reaction can be found at iFixit, an essential site that rates the repairability of electronic products and offers resources to repair them. “Passing this bill means repairs should become less expensive and more comprehensive (…) Previously, manufacturers could push consumers to use approved workshops, now they will have to compete”, noted iFixit.
Politicians supporting the measure now hope that these New York obligations will push manufacturers to flesh out their broader electronics repair solutions and offer them far more broadly than in New York State alone.
Legislation in preparation at the European Parliament
For information, the “right to reparation” is also an obligation on which the European Parliament is working. The European Commission is due to submit a legislative proposal to this effect later this year, but the European Parliament have already agreed on their requirementsalmost unanimously.
MEPs want to encompass the entire life cycle of a product (design, production ethics, standardization, information by sellers, etc.) and encourage “more efficient use of resources, reduced waste and longer use of products”. They want free access to repair and maintenance information, as well as rolling software updates that don’t cause performance degradation. Finally, they want limiting the right to repair to be considered an unfair and prohibited commercial practice.
They are also considering, in the future, an eco-design directive tightening the environmental standards and rules to be respected by any manufacturer wishing to sell its electronic products in the countries of the European Union.
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