🌱 What is the aim?
On 20 June 2025, new rules on ecodesign and energy labelling came into force in the EU. The new rules apply to tablets, smartphones, and other cordless phones. The aim of the measures put in place is “to boost the product lifespan, energy efficiency, and ease of repair”. Additionally, the EU says the rules will “promote sustainable consumption and savings, and reduce the environmental impact” of the tablets and phones in scope. Thereby, the new rules are to “contribut[e] to [the] EU’s energy efficiency targets, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and promoting circular economy”.
🌱 What are the repair requirements?
The rules aim to ensure that products have a “greater resistance to drops, scratches, dust and water”. They stipulate the “use of more durable batteries”. The batteries used should therefore be “capable of at least 800 charge cycles while retaining at least 80% of their initial capacity”. There are also measures calling for “clear rules on [the] disassembly and repair” of products. These “requir[e] manufacturers to supply key spare parts within 5-10 working days and for at least 7 years after the product model is no longer sold in the EU”. Additionally, the new rules mandate the “longer availability of operating system updates”. Updates must specifically be made available for “at least 5 years from the date the last unit model is sold”. Finally, the rules also call for “fair access for professional repairers to the software or firmware needed for repairs”.
🌱 What are the labelling requirements?
New products placed or sold on the EU market must now be labelled with a repairability score and “other key details to help extend [the] product lifespans for consumers”. The scale for the repairability score runs from A for “most repairable” to E for “least repairable”. All the energy labels and accompanying information for products are publicly available via the EPREL database, where consumers can download these. These new information requirements are meant to “help consumers make more informed and sustainable purchasing choices”.
🌱 Will raw materials, energy, and costs to consumers be saved?
The EU holds that the new rules contribute “to optimis[ing] the use of critical raw materials and facilitate their recycling”. The EU also predicts that, under the new rules, the energy consumption of citizens using smartphones and tablets may drop by 2.2 TWh by 2030. Without the new rules, a third more energy would likely be consumed by 2030 through the smartphone and tablet use of EU citizens. Overall, consumers are estimated to save €20 billion in expenses in 2030 on account of the new rules.
Read more about the rules here: