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On April 23, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Right to Repair Directive, which aims to make it easier and cheaper for consumers to extend the life of their gadgets. This law requires manufacturers to offer spare parts and repair services even after the warranty expires for common household items. The directive officially takes effect on July 31, 2026, giving member states until then to integrate it into their national laws.

The bill’s language is pretty straightforward: make repairs more accessible and support sustainability. And that’s where 3D printing shines. With a printer at home, creating custom replacement parts to keep your stuff running is often already second nature. The requirement for manufacturers to share repair information and provide tools perfectly aligns with a community already built on the idea of tinkering and creativity.

The directive requires consumers to be informed if repair is more cost-effective than replacement at the point of purchase or service. Specific timelines for repairs are introduced, ensuring faster service and reducing wait times. The directive also includes some clever ideas, like digital product passports that keep track of repairs.

With this new legislation, national online platforms will help consumers find repair shops and sellers of refurbished goods, promoting repair culture and a stronger circular economy. The directive aims to create a more competitive repair market by mandating that customers have the option to seek an affordable “repair service provider of their choice.”

In terms of what that means for 3D printable parts, the directive specifically prohibits manufacturers from impeding “the use of second-hand or 3D-printed spare parts by independent repairers”, which could further amplify the creation and sharing of 3D printable repair files on online platforms that have been, so far, largely limited to consumers sharing their own repairs.

Products imported from outside the EU are a little more challenging, as non-EU manufacturers might not follow the new legislation – making it harder to get repair information and parts. In this case, obligations will be passed to importers and distributors in that order. In any case, it seems likely that protections to spare parts will remain – even if manufacturers need not help with access themselves.

Timeline and Incentivizing Repair

To make repairs more affordable, the bill requires member states to “implement at least one measure to promote repair,” citing repair vouchers and funds, information campaigns, education, or support for “community-led repair spaces” (like maker spaces, presumably) as examples.

Clearly collaboration between manufacturers, lawmakers, and the maker community will be essential to successfully implementing this law.

When All3DP reached out to the EU Commission with questions about when residents would be protected under the directive, a Commission official clarified that protections won’t apply until each member state integrates the law into their national legal frameworks. Once that happens, manufacturers will be required to repair eligible products—even those bought before the law takes effect.

That said, the obligation to repair only covers products that meet specific reparability rules laid out in the directive’s Annex II—like the requirement to offer spare parts. Manufacturers will also need to clearly share details about their repair obligations, including how long those obligations last. Sellers of refurbished goods must provide warranties of at least one year, increasing consumer confidence in second-hand markets.

This directive is poised to give 3D printing businesses a major boost, especially in creating custom spare parts. As manufacturers meet their obligations, demand for parts can be expected to grow — particularly for discontinued or non-EU products where official options might not already exist.

Don’t own a 3D printer? 3D printing services like Craftcloud by All3DP are a great option to order printed parts–connecting you with professional 3D printing services, so you can get custom parts printed exactly to your needs—whether that’s for household items, electronics, or anything in between.

Next Steps: Applying Your Rights

When the directive kicks in, it’ll be easier to repair eligible products and track down local repair shops or refurbished goods. You’ll need to keep an eye out for updates in your country about when the new platforms go live.

For products not covered by the law—like personal imports or discontinued models—3D printing could still be your solution. Sharing and printing designs online might soon be the go-to solution for those tougher repairs.

As repair culture picks up, 3D printing businesses will play an important role in sustainability, transforming your relationship with your products from a short fling to a long-term relationship.

License: The text of "With the EU’s Right to Repair Laws, It’s a Tinkerer’s Market" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.