The right to repair devices is now mandatory in Spain

 The so-called right to repair law of the European Union begins to be applied this Friday, July 31, 2026 in Spain, once the deadline for Member States to incorporate the Directive (EU) into their legislation expired. 2024/1799.

Specifically, the law obliges manufacturers to carry out the necessary repairs “within a reasonable time” and, if these are not free of charge, also at a “reasonable price”, with the aim of encouraging the option of repair.

This right to repair is part of the reform of EU consumer protection rules, which came into force on Tuesday, July 30, 2024 and which establishes the “right to repair” to ensure that, when devices such as televisions, washing machines or mobile phones break down, the customer can demand the repair of the device instead of its replacement.

Now, once the deadline for Member States to incorporate Directive (EU) 2024/1799, which refers to the right to repair, has expired, The norm is officially beginning to be applied in Spain, as indicated in the Official State Gazette (BOE).

The objective is that repairing a device, for example a smartphone or computer, is easier and more attractive than purchasing a new one, in many cases, promoting this option to be more economical than replacing it.

The directive mainly covers the devices for which European legislation already requires manufacturers to have repair services and replacement parts available, such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners, electronic screens or certain phones and tablets, among others.

Thus, among its new features, it requires manufacturers to offer repair of their products whenever technically possible, even when the legal warranty has already expired. Likewise, it must be carried out within a timeframe and at a reasonable price.

Likewise, manufacturerswill not be able to prevent repair through contractual clauses, ‘software’ or ‘hardware’, except for security or intellectual property protection issues. They must also facilitate access to spare parts and tools when required by regulations. In addition, if repair is chosen, the product warranty must be extended by 12 months on the repaired good.

The standard also establishes that consumers who opt for repair will have the right to receive a replacement device on loan while the one they own is being fixed or to choose a refurbished unit as an alternative.

However, manufacturers may provide a standardized document with clear information about the cost, term, conditions and validity of the repair offer, so that users can compare quotes from different repair services.

In practice, for consumers, this means reducing obsolescence and electronic waste, since they will have more options for repairs, greater transparency of prices and repair times, better access to parts and more guarantees favorable.

It should be noted that the right to repair regulations are different from other European regulations that will come into force later in February 2027, such as Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 relating to batteries and their waste.

In this case, the requirements will begin to apply that will require that the batteries of many portable devices, such as mobile phones, be easily replaceable by the user. Companies like Nintendo are already putting it into practice.