re:publica 24: Sustainability is more than just the "right to repair"

With the Ecodesign Regulation, the European Union is introducing new rules to ensure that products last longer and are easier to repair or recycle. With regard to the "right to repair", however, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) is at least trying to dampen consumer expectations.

"When it comes to the right to repair, we have to say goodbye to the idea that we all repair our washing machines ourselves," said Lemke at the re:publica conference in Berlin on Tuesday. "It's about taking reparability and sustainability into account right from the design stage." Circular economy or circularity is the keyword.

"Functioning infrastructure"

There is already a functioning repair infrastructure for consumer electronics such as smartphones, said the Minister: "We need to improve their conditions" - for example in terms of access to spare parts and software. The availability of spare parts and software updates can also be a criterion for consumer decisions, which manufacturers will then take into account.

Lemke is also already seeing impetus from the economy. Scarce raw materials are causing manufacturing industries to rethink. "Due to changes in supply chains and the global increase in demand for raw materials, there are economic constraints that are already making themselves felt in various industries," said Lemke.

Although Lemke is pleased about the "global discussion about circularity", there is still no global consensus on sustainable production and recycling. "There are individual countries that see their economy threatened by circularity."

Getting a grip on overconsumption

"We will not get a grip on overconsumption by appealing to consumers," said Lemke and is instead focusing on "structural adjustments". These could be the instruments introduced with the Ecodesign Directive, for example. "If we have digital product passports on the one hand and a repair index on the other, these will be factors for consumers and the economy will adapt to them."

Lemke does not believe that advertising bans, for example on cheap products that enter the EU via new sales platforms such as Wish, Temu or Shein, are feasible or effective. Consumer protection can be a "strategic lever" here. As an example, the Minister cited the successful warnings issued to the Temu and Shein platforms by the German consumer advice centers.

The Ecodesign Regulation replaces the old Ecodesign Directive when it comes into force. A regulation applies immediately in all EU countries; there is a transitional period of 18 months to adapt to the new rules. The right to repair is to be introduced on the basis of a directive that has yet to be transposed into national law.

"In Germany, the Ministry of Justice is responsible for transposing the right to repair into national law," said Lemke at re:publica, expressing confidence that the German government will get this done quickly.

(vbr)