Access to safe and affordable medicines and EU support for pharmaceutical innovation were discussed in the EU parliament last week.

01 December 2020

Parliament wants to increase the sustainability of the single market by promoting product reuse and repair and combating practices that shorten their shelf life.

Encouraging consumers to make sustainable choices and promoting a culture of product reuse

• Improving repair capabilities and extending product life
• Introduction of a universal charger to reduce the amount of electronic waste
• Systemic changes: from production and public procurement to advertising and waste management
• The resolution on a more sustainable single market was adopted with 395 votes in favor, 94 against and 207 abstentions.

MEPs call on the Commission to give consumers a "right to repair" by making repairs systematic, cost-effective and attractive, either by extending warranties, or providing spare parts, or improving the availability of maintenance and service information.

They also insist on increasing support for second-hand markets, call for measures to combat premature obsolescence of products and welcome sustainable production. Deputies reiterated their call for the introduction of a universal charger to reduce the amount of electronic waste. They emphasized the need to label products according to their durability (eg usage meter and clear information on the expected shelf life of the product).

Removing barriers to repair, resale and reuse

In order to encourage sustainable business decisions and consumer choices, MEPs have proposed that public procurement prioritize demand for environmentally friendly goods and services with a smaller environmental footprint, and that marketing and advertising be more responsible. For example, if advertisements advertise environmentally friendly features, they should be based on common criteria, as is the case when obtaining permits for eco-labels. The resolution also calls for the role of the EU Ecolabel to be strengthened in order to increase industrial application and raise consumer awareness.

The adopted text also proposes new rules for waste management and the removal of legal barriers to repair, resale and reuse. The market of secondary raw materials will also benefit from that.

More information

According to a Eurobarometer survey, 77% of Union citizens would rather repair their products than buy new ones, and 79% of them believe that manufacturers should be legally obliged to simplify the repair of digital devices or the replacement of their parts.

Links

Adopted text (25.11.2020.)

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/hr/texts-adopted.html

Video of the debate (23.11.2020.)

https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/fr/plenary-session_20201123-0900-PLENARY_vd?start=20201123161621&end=20201123190600

Procedure file

https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?reference=2020/2021(INI)&l=en 

Rapporteur David Cormand (Greens / EFA, France)

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/hr/197503/DAVID_CORMAND/home 

Press release on the committee vote: "Consumers in the Union should have the right to make amends" (26.10.2020)

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201024IPR90101/ 

European Parliament Research Service: "Sustainable consumption: How to help consumers make environmentally friendly decisions"

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)659295 

30 November 2020

Are you 16-30 years old and working on a project with a European dimension? Apply for the Charlemagne Youth Prize 2021 and win funds to further develop your initiative.

27 November 2020

The European Parliament advocates a change in the EU's approach to industrial policy to help companies cope with the crisis and face the double transition to digital and green.

26 November 2020