The Right to Repair:
Legal Incentives and Potential Barriers to Sustainable Consumption
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REPAREU is the acronym for the research project “The Right to Repair: Legal Incentives and Potential Barriers to Sustainable Consumption” (PID2023-151559OB-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities.
The purpose of this project is to contribute to the transformation of consumer law into an effective tool for achieving the sustainability goals outlined in the European Union’s agenda for the coming years.
OBJECTIVES
This project aims to assess the measures adopted within the European Union to promote the repair of consumer goods and to analyse the incentive systems that can support sustainable consumption as a means to combat climate change. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach that considers not only the implications of the right to repair as a form of consumer empowerment, but also its contribution to environmental sustainability, its potential to foster innovation, and its impact on industry interests.
Additionally, the project seeks to examine whether recognizing a right to repair is compatible with intellectual property rights, which are often invoked by manufacturers to deny access to the information needed for repairs or to restrict the sale of spare parts and refurbished goods.
To achieve these overarching goals, the project sets out the following specific objectives:
So1
Identify legal, contractual, or technological barriers that may hinder consumers’ ability to repair purchased goods.
SO2:
Identify the potential benefits of the right to repair for consumers, businesses, and the environment.
SO3:
Analyse how the right to repair aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its broader international implications.
SO4:
Identify and critically assess the regulatory frameworks governing the right to repair, with special attention to their impact on the market.
SO5:
Monitor existing legislative proposals related to the right to repair.
SO6:
Analyse the system of incentives underlying various policy measures aimed at promoting more responsible consumption.
SO7:
Determine whether –and to what extent– it would be justified to introduce limitations or exceptions to intellectual property rights in order to ensure the effectiveness of the right to repair.
SO8:
Develop proposals to ensure a balanced and effective protection of the right to repair.
SO9:
Disseminate the findings of the research both to the general public and within the academic community.
