EU right to repair directive impacts appliance consumer rights

New European Union regulations regarding the ‘right to repair’ are set to impact consumer rights for household appliances and electronics. Under EU Directive 2024/1799, manufacturers of products such as washing machines, refrigerators, and smartphones will be required to offer repair services at reasonable conditions, even after the legal warranty has expired.

It is important to distinguish this new right from the existing ‘legal guarantee of conformity.’ In France, the legal guarantee covers defects present at the time of delivery. For goods purchased since January 1, 2022, there is a 30-month presumption of a pre-existing defect, allowing consumers to demand free repairs, replacements, or partial refunds from the seller.

While the EU directive established a deadline of July 31, 2026, for member states to transpose these rules into national law, the practical application in France remains in transition. As of August 2026, specific French transposition texts had not yet been identified to make these new obligations enforceable against manufacturers, highlighting a gap between the EU mandate and national implementation.