The EU Right to Repair Directive required member states to transpose its obligations into national law by July 31, 2026. That deadline has passed. In markets where national legislation is now in force, US consumer electronics brands face live obligations.

Directive 2024/1799 gives consumers the right to request repair over replacement for covered products. For manufacturers and importers, that right must be practically deliverable: spare parts at fair prices, repair services at reasonable cost. Products where repairability cannot be demonstrated face enforcement action in markets with national law in force.

Which products are covered

The Directive initially covers electrical household goods and consumer electronics — the same categories already under EU WEEE regulations. Washing machines, dishwashers, televisions, smartphones, tablets, and laptops are covered in most national implementations. Product-specific annexes define the full scope per market.

The uneven enforcement picture

Not every EU member state met the July 31 deadline. Some have enacted national law; others are in legislative arrears and face Commission enforcement proceedings. Right to Repair obligations are live where national law is in force, and not yet active where implementation is delayed.

Assuming the Directive applies EU-wide, or does not apply at all, is equally wrong. The correct step is to confirm transposition status in each specific target market before drawing any conclusions about current obligations.

What to do now

Confirm national implementation in your EU target markets. Check whether the Directive has entered national law in Germany and the Netherlands, your primary EU entry markets. Review your EU product range for covered products and current repairability status — spare parts availability, repair pricing, repair service access. Flag any product lines where repairability improvements are needed, and build a remediation timeline before Q4 inventory goes in.

Brands entering the EU for the first time have a genuine advantage here: building repairability into the EU go-to-market plan from day one is simpler than retrofitting it post-launch.

Expandly's product compliance review covers Right to Repair alongside CE marking, WEEE registration, and Battery Regulation labelling as part of the onboarding sequence. Getting the compliance picture right before a single unit ships is the foundation all EU expansion is built on.