Right to Repair rules now apply in Ireland: What should businesses know?

As of 31st July 2026, new EU Right to Repair rules apply in Ireland, introducing requirements designed to make it easier for consumers to repair certain products rather than replace them.

For businesses, particularly manufacturers, the new rules are worth paying attention to. However, the Right to Repair Directive does not currently apply to every product. Its manufacturer repair obligations are linked to specific product categories for which EU legislation establishes repairability requirements.

The EU Right to Repair Directive —Directive (EU) 2024/1799— is being implemented in Ireland through S.I. No. 373/2026 and forms part of a wider shift in EU policy towards longer-lasting, more repairable and circular products.

As these requirements develop, including through the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), the range of products affected may continue to expand.

What does the Right to Repair Directive do?

The Directive aims to make repair a more accessible and attractive option for consumers.

It introduces measures to improve access to repair services and information, including new obligations for manufacturers of certain products, a European Repair Information Form and the development of an EU-wide online platform to help consumers find repair services.

It is important to note, the Directive complements rather than replaces existing consumer protection rules. In Ireland, consumers already have rights when goods do not match the standard of their sales contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2022. The new Right to Repair framework introduces additional obligations with a particular impact for manufacturers and access to repair.

Does the obligation to repair apply to every manufacturer?

No. The obligation to repair currently applies only to products for which EU product-specific legislation establishes repairability requirements and which fall within the scope of the Directive.

The current scope is mainly focused on electrical and electronic products but also includes categories such as household washing machines and washer-dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, electronic displays, mobile phones and tablets, tumble dryers, vacuum cleaners, servers and data-storage products, welding equipment, and products incorporating light-means-of-transport batteries.

Even where a product category is covered, the precise requirements will depend on the relevant product-specific EU legislation. Businesses should therefore understand both whether their products are within scope and what specific repairability requirements apply.

The scope may also evolve as further product-specific repairability requirements are introduced at EU level, including through the ESPR.

What does this mean for manufacturers?

For products within scope, manufacturers may have a direct obligation to provide a repair when requested by a consumer, where repair is technically possible.

The repair must be provided free of charge or at a reasonable price and within a reasonable period. Manufacturers with repair obligations must also make information about their repair services available to consumers in a clear and accessible way.

The Directive also aims to prevent repair from being unnecessarily restricted. This includes provisions to facilitate access to certain spare parts and tools and restrictions on contractual, hardware or software practices that prevent repair without legitimate and objective justification.

Importantly, manufacturers do not necessarily have to carry out repairs themselves. Repair services can be subcontracted to an external repair provider, opening opportunities for collaboration with repair networks and specialist service providers.

Where a manufacturer is established outside the EU, responsibility may instead fall to its authorised representative, importer or, in certain circumstances, distributor.

What about products outside warranty?

The Right to Repair Directive should not be confused with a commercial warranty or consumers' existing statutory remedies for faulty products. Where consumers have remedies against a trader under existing consumer law, those rights continue to apply.

The new framework is particularly relevant where a consumer seeks repair outside the seller's warranty or liability period. Depending on the product and applicable product-specific requirements, a manufacturer repair obligation may therefore apply even where a commercial warranty has expired.

This does not mean manufacturers must repair every product indefinitely. Whether the obligation applies will depend on the product, its technical repairability and the relevant product-specific requirements.

What else is changing?

Not every element of the new repair framework is fully operational yet.

A European Repair Information Form is available to help consumers compare repair conditions, prices and expected timeframes, although its use by repairers is voluntary.

An EU-wide online repair platform is also being developed to make it easier for consumers to find repair services. In Ireland, RepairMyStuff.ie will provide the basis for the national platform.

Together, these measures are part of a broader EU policy direction towards increasing product durability, repairability and products with a higher circularity value.

What should businesses do now?

Businesses can begin by:

• Assessing whether the products they manufacture or supply fall within the current scope of the Right to Repair rules.

• Identifying their role in the supply chain and whether manufacturer, authorised representative, importer or distributor obligations may apply.

• Reviewing existing repair services and how consumers can access information about them.

• Evaluating arrangements with external repair providers where repair is outsourced.

• Understanding the product-specific requirements that may apply to repair, spare parts and related information.

• Monitoring the expansion of repairability requirements under the ESPR and other EU product legislation.

  
  

Even where a company's products are not currently covered, repairability is becoming an increasingly important consideration in how products are designed, manufactured and supported throughout their lifetime.

How CIRCULÉIRE can help

For manufacturers, the Right to Repair agenda is not only about regulatory compliance. It also raises wider questions around product design, spare parts, repair services, refurbishment, product lifetime extension and opportunities for circular business models working in the higher R strategies space such as repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishment or circular design.

CIRCULÉIRE members can access one-to-one Policy Clinics to better understand emerging policy and regulatory developments. Get in touch to discuss how new legislation may apply to your organisation and identify practical next steps.