On 19 February 2026, Circular Economy Network, in collaboration with Confederazione nazionale dell'artigianato e della piccola e media impresa (CNA), hosted the webinar ‘The right to repair as a driver of the circular economy: the implementation of the EU directive, the role of businesses and incentives to develop the repair market in Italy.’ During the event, the organisation’s experts provided an extensive overview of the EU’s 2024/1799 Directive, its implication for value chain stakeholders, and the possible implementation strategies on a national level.

Fabrizio Vigni, Organisational Coordinator of the Circular Economy Network, tackled the theme of incentivising repair, comparing EU countries’ experiences and exploring Italian proposals on the matter. Article 13 of the 2024/1799 EU Directive mandates Member States to take at least one measure promoting repair, notifying the Commission on the measures taken by the end of July 2029. These may include financial, fiscal, and other measures.

In Italy, the decree-law including the reception of such Directive, does not currently include criteria for the implementation or financial measures for the expected expenditures concerning Article 13. Thus, Vigni offered an overview on other countries’ initiatives on repairability, to assess the possible Italian future scenarios. Many EU States, for instance, incentivise repair through bonuses and reduced VAT rates, at a national, regional, or local level. On such a topic, France’s experience with reparation bonuses offers valuable insights. France applied an invoice discount for authorised repairers, mainly on electrodomestic and electronic goods, textile, and footwear. This incentive brought over 1.5 million repairs and 6,500 authorised repair centres.

Vigni then presented various strategies adopted by other EU Member States. These countries’ experiences show that the most effective economic incentives are simple, visible, and measurable. Incentives must satisfy demand and foster the development of the repair market, benefitting all stakeholders. Bonus reparations are targeted and effective, as benefits are clearly visible and immediate for consumers, while fiscal aid is an indirect incentive, which simplifies bureaucracy but has a reduced effect on the consumer’s perceived cost.

Vigni hypothesised some viable options for Italy to adopt, regarding the EU Directive. He proposed a dual-track approach, with the implementation of bonuses financed by EPR-system funds, similarly to the French model, the construction of an authorised repair centre network, and a VAT reduction rate for repair services and essential spare parts (extending the existing benefit currently only provided for construction services). Combined with information campaigns, he illustrated the potential benefits for the country, including the fostering of a repair-oriented consumer culture, the development of the repair market, the regulation and safety of pre-existing activities, and the reduction of waste.

Natalia Gil Lopez, Head of Environmental Policy at CNA, focused on the implementation of the Directive, overviewing challenges and opportunities for repair businesses. She explained how the EU implemented several strategies as part of the Green Deal to ensure that sustainable products become the norm in a more resilient single market.

In line with the Green Deal goals, the Ecodesign Directive on the repair of goods aims to increase sustainable consumption by regulating ecodesign of sustainable products to promote product repairability at the manufacturing stage and allowing consumers to decide responsibly on their purchases and decisions.

The Directive’s objective is increasing product repair, reducing their cost, and improving their accessibility when goods are damaged and no longer covered by a guarantee. It introduces consumers’ right to repair, and obliges vendors to offer such a service, as long as it is less expensive than substitution. Consumers will have the right to demand products for repair, based on EU law specifications, and producers must inform consumers on the range of products for which they must perform repair.

In addition, Lopez showed how the Directive values the role of craftsmanship and Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), which become a crucial component to economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Artisans become crucial stakeholders for the circular economy, contributing to the preservation of the value of goods, and can offer tailored repair services.

Stefano Leoni, Scientific Coordinator for the Circular Economy Network, spoke about the right to goods reparation. In particular, he focused on the 2024/1799 EU Directive, and its impact on key stakeholders. Consumers also face several obstacles, such as the lack of repairable goods, spare parts, and the accessibility of information concerning goods repairability.

The Directive introduces the European module of information on reparation, with the aim of facilitating consumer choice on choosing their repairers and the most apt services. The module, which repairers may use to inform consumers on the essential services they provide, must include the repairer’s identity and contact details, the item to be repaired, the nature of the fault, the type of repair proposed, the price and time required, the availability of temporary replacement goods with associated costs, the place of delivery, the availability of ancillary services and their costs, and the period of validity of the offer.

Under the new Directive, upon consumers’ request, manufacturers must repair goods which are within the EU’s “repairability specifics,” for free or at a reasonable price, within a reasonable time frame. Manufacturers may also offer temporary replacement products, or reconditioned goods when reparation is not possible. When manufacturers are based outside of the EU, the compulsory reparation responsibilities also fall upon their importers, authorised representatives, or distributors within the Union. Notably, manufacturers supplying spare parts and instruments may only do so at a “reasonable price that does not deter access to such spare parts and tools, thereby preventing repair.” Additionally, manufacturers are forbidden from using contractual clauses or hardware or software technology which prevent goods’ repairability, with few exceptions. They must also refrain from refusing reparations on the sole basis of other reparations having already occurred.

The Directive 2024/1799 introduces a European-level online platform to facilitate consumers’ search for repair services, reconditioned goods suppliers, and buyers of damaged goods with the objective of reconditioning or repair. The Directive also modifies the instated Directive 2019/711. When repair occurs, manufacturers’ responsibility period extends for another 12 months, with respect to the ordinary guarantee period, and Member States may mandate a longer extension. Vendors must also inform consumers of their repair and substitution options, and must ensure that these services are free, occur within a reasonable time frame from when the vendor was informed of the defect, and must not create excessive inconveniences for the consumer.