Fixing a broken phone or a dead washing machine is about to become a legal entitlement rather than a lucky option. From 31 July 2026, the European Union’s right to repair directive becomes enforceable national law across all 27 member states, and shoppers who once shrugged and bought a replacement will be able to demand a fix in court.

The rules force manufacturers to keep spare parts available and to drop design tricks that block independent repairs. For smartphones and tablets, companies must offer repair services for at least seven years after a model goes on sale. For large appliances such as fridges, washing machines and dishwashers, the obligation stretches to ten years.

The directive also rewires the economics of choosing repair over replacement. When a product still sits under its legal guarantee and a buyer opts to have it mended rather than swapped, the warranty extends by an extra twelve months. That single change nudges both households and retailers toward keeping devices alive instead of binning them.

Coverage is deliberately broad. The current list runs from mobile phones, cordless phones and tablets to televisions, monitors, vacuum cleaners, refrigerating appliances and even servers. The Commission built the scope around the goods that Europeans discard most often and that pile up the heaviest electronic waste.

For the repair trade, the promise is a level playing field. Independent workshops have long complained that they cannot buy genuine parts or reach diagnostic software, leaving customers with no option but the manufacturer’s own pricey service. The new obligations crack that market open, and a planned online platform will help people find repairers and refurbished goods nearby.

Businesses face a tighter compliance clock than the calm deadline suggests. Firms selling into the bloc must map which products fall in scope, publish repair prices that regulators will judge as reasonable, and prove that parts reach the market on time. Companies that drag their feet risk enforcement the moment national authorities switch the rules on.

Not everyone thinks the reform goes far enough. Campaigners point out that the scope still excludes many everyday electronics, and that a reasonable price for a repair stays vague enough to let some manufacturers keep costs high. The real test will come from how hard national watchdogs police the promise after the summer.

Even with those gaps, the shift matters. Europe throws away millions of tonnes of electronic waste each year, much of it perfectly repairable. By making the fix a default and the right to demand it a matter of law, Brussels is betting that the cheapest and greenest device is the one people already own. The Commission’s own guide to the consumer rules spells out the finer detail.