EU's Repair Label Law Lacks Transparency After One Year
A report by Right to Repair Europe indicates that 82% of new smartphone models fail to provide required repair information, a year after the EU's directive on reparability took effect.
One year after the European Union implemented its directive on reparability for smartphones and tablets, a significant gap in market transparency persists, according to a new review by the Right to Repair Europe coalition. The regulations, which came into effect on June 20, 2025, aimed to provide consumers with better access to repair information and spare parts.
The coalition examined 2,334 smartphone models launched in the past year. Their findings reveal that only approximately 18% of these devices provided a readily accessible link to spare parts prices or repair instructions. A substantial 82% of products did not meet the required information disclosure requirements.
Further analysis showed that nearly half of the examined product records lacked any web address for repair information. Of those that did provide a link, 19% led to pages devoid of repair documentation or spare part pricing. Additionally, 8% of products offered only generic prompts like 'consult the manual' instead of specific repair guidance.
The EU's regulation mandates that smartphones sold within the bloc display key durability and repair metrics on an energy label. Consumers are expected to scan a QR code on this label to access a more detailed database and manufacturer-provided repair support pages. The report highlights specific examples, such as the Oukitel WP35 Pro, where despite a high repairability score, the provided links for repair information in the EU database were empty.