The decree published in France’s Official Journal in December requires this information on spare parts that are essential for the use of a product to be displayed “in a visible manner” before a purchase is made.

This can be done either by specifying the period of availability or the final date.

Manufacturers will have to deliver the parts needed to make repairs within two months.

The law aims to promote durable and repairable products by allowing consumers to consider the availability of spare parts when making purchase decisions.

The decree implements provisions made in the French consumer law last year. The new rules will apply to products placed on the market for the first time from March.

The European Commission proposed a set of EU-wide minimum requirements for extended producer responsibility schemes in its update of waste targets and policies last July.

The proposal, part of a wider circular economy package, is set to be formally withdrawn next month and replaced with a new one, which will focus on product design and promote repair.

Recycling social enterprise network RReuse commented that producer responsibility needs to "look beyond recycling and help extend product lifetimes through repair and preparation for re-use". It argued that the availability of spare parts at affordable prices is "essential for this to happen".

Source: ENDS Europe