EU moves to ban misleading battery life ads, mandate third party repairs

The European Parliament drafted new legislation with the goal of offering better product labeling in the EU and limiting misleading product characteristics, environmental claims and repairability restrictions.

The directive will target the use of unsubstantiated environmental claims on packing and ads such as “climate neutral” and “environmentally friendly” by manufacturers if these are not backed by detailed evidence. The legislation draft also foresees clear labeling for the cost of product repairs and any potential repair restrictions by manufacturers.

The industry will no longer profit from making consumer goods that break just as the guarantee period is over. Consumers will have to be provided with information about the options and cost of repairs in a clear manner.

Product labels will inform citizens which goods are guaranteed to last longer and producers whose goods are more durable will profit. The jungle of false environmental claims will end as only certified and substantiated ecological claims will be permitted. - Biljana Borzan, VC of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in European Parliament

The goal of the new directive is to help consumers make better informed purchases and encourage companies to offer verifiably more sustainable products. The European Parliament also wants to ban misleading claims such as battery life endurance as well as planned obsolescence and design features that limit a product’s life cycle.

The accompanying press release also mentions that the new law will mandate interoperability with third-party accessories like chargers and spare parts to work with devices and not limit their functionality. With the draft already passed, negotiations between the EU Parliament and EU member countries are set to begin soon.

Source