The European Union has been working on the device repair market for quite some time. And now the EU is making it clear that companies must do the right thing for consumers.

The EU Parliament voted Tuesday (April 23) to support a broad repair and warranty bill of rights that paves the way for sweeping changes in the way manufacturers and product sellers provide support for devices. The new rules would require all manufacturers to provide "timely and cost-effective repair services." Instead of the previously mandated two-year warranty, companies will be required to implement a three-year warranty on all products.

Interestingly, after this three-year warranty period expires, manufacturers will still be required to provide repair services for what Congress calls "common household products" (at the time of this writing, these include washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and smartphones.) The EU warns that the list of household products will be expanded in the future warning that it may do so.

The EU did not mention that manufacturers must provide free repair services in all cases, but manufacturers are required to provide such services at affordable rates and are not allowed to circumvent the law with fancy legal language.

In a statement, Congress said, "Manufacturers must provide spare parts and tools at reasonable prices, and the use of contractual clauses, hardware, or software techniques that interfere with repairs is prohibited."

The EU specifically stated that manufacturers will not be allowed to use used or 3D-printed spare parts to repair their products and will be prohibited from saying they cannot repair a product because "someone has repaired it before."

As the number of electronic devices manufactured each year continues to grow, companies have sought ways to reduce their liability after the sale of their products. In many cases, they have limited warranties, reduced repair windows, and eventually made it burdensome enough for customers to get their units repaired, instead of having to purchase new units.

This week's EU initiative aims to address this. Indeed, the Parliament said in a statement that it believes the new rules will create a fairer market for consumers and encourage them to repair products rather than opt for new equipment. Perhaps most importantly, the EU claims that the rules will reduce repair costs.

But whether that will happen remains to be seen, and there is much work left to be done before this program can really take off. the EU then wants consumers in all member states to "find local repair stores, sellers of refurbished products, buyers of defective products, and community-led repair He said he plans to launch an "online platform" where consumers can "easily find initiatives.

The new law also requires all member states to enact it into national law within two years.