Consumer Rights Directive amendments
Durability and repairability: the new information duties
The change in one line
Short answer
The EmpCo Directive amends the Consumer Rights Directive so that, before a purchase, sellers must clearly show available information on durability guarantees, software update periods, repairability and, for covered products, the EU repairability score.
The logic mirrors the claims rules. The law does not force products to become more durable. It forces honesty about how durable they are. The market then does the rest. Producers who build things that last get a visible advantage on the shelf.
The two new EU-wide formats
Two harmonised formats arrive on 27 September 2026. They were fixed by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 and they complement each other.
| Harmonised notice | Harmonised durability label | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A reminder of the legal guarantee of conformity, minimum two years, that every consumer already has by law. | A label for a voluntary commercial guarantee of durability from the producer, covering the whole good, longer than two years, at no extra cost. |
| Mandatory? | Yes. Every seller must display it prominently at the point of sale, in shops and online. | Voluntary for producers. But when a producer offers the guarantee and shares it, the seller must display the label. |
| Where it appears | A poster on the shop wall, near the checkout, or a general notice on the webshop. | On or near the specific product: on its packaging, on the shelf, or next to the product photo online. |
Repairability scores
Where EU law establishes a repairability score for a product group, sellers must show it before the consumer buys. The score aggregates things like spare parts availability and price, ease of disassembly and access to tools into a single number.
Smartphones and tablets went first. Since 20 June 2025, new devices placed on the EU market carry an energy label with a repairability score. The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation will extend scores to more product groups over time. If you sell phones or tablets, showing the score clearly is already your job today.
Key takeaways
- Sellers must pass on durability and repair information where the producer makes it available. No duty to search for it.
- Producers acting as sellers must provide spare parts and repair information when selling parts or manuals is part of their business model, or when the law requires it.
- There is no general obligation to repair. But if you volunteer repair information, you must also mention relevant restrictions.
- Software matters: the minimum period of free software updates must be visible where the producer provides it.
- Flexibility on format: on the good, on packaging, on the shelf or next to the product image online. Clear, comprehensible and prominent is the standard.
The rules apply from 27 September 2026
That includes products already on the shelf. Check your claims, labels and product pages now, not after enforcement starts.
Frequently asked questions
What durability information must sellers give under the EmpCo Directive?
Where the producer makes it available, sellers must show information on commercial durability guarantees, the minimum period of software updates, repairability details like spare parts availability and repair instructions, and the repairability score where EU rules define one. The information must be clear, comprehensible and prominent before purchase.
What is the harmonised durability label?
A new EU-wide label for voluntary commercial guarantees of durability. It applies when a producer guarantees the whole good for more than two years at no extra cost. Its design is fixed by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960. When the producer offers such a guarantee and shares the information, the seller must display the label prominently from 27 September 2026.
What is the harmonised notice on the legal guarantee?
A mandatory point-of-sale notice reminding consumers of their EU legal guarantee of at least two years. Shops must display it prominently from 27 September 2026, for example as a poster near the checkout or a clear notice on a webshop. It complements the voluntary durability label and the two cross-reference each other.
Which products need a repairability score in the EU?
Smartphones and tablets first. Since 20 June 2025, new smartphones and tablets placed on the EU market must carry an energy label with a repairability score. More product groups will follow under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. Wherever an EU score exists, sellers must show it before purchase.
Do producers have to hand durability data to retailers?
No general obligation. The duty on sellers applies where the producer makes the information available. Sellers do not have to hunt for data on producer websites. But producers have a clear commercial incentive: products with visible durability and repair information become easier to choose.
What obsolescence practices become blacklisted?
Among others: hiding that a software update will hurt the product's functioning, presenting goods as repairable when they are not, withholding that a good is designed to limit durability, and inducing consumers to replace consumables earlier than technically necessary.
