How Spain plans to stamp out planned obsolescence

Spain’s leftist coalition government is to try and take on the big tech model of ‘planned obsolescence’, the practice of allowing technology to quickly become outdated or non-functional and therefore require users to buy newer models.

The practice often ensures that old parts, such as batteries, are no longer manufactured so older models cannot be repaired.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs wants to limit the practice through measures such as incentivising the repair of electrical appliances during the legal warranty period and creating an online platform that provides access to trusted repair services.

The idea is to try and protect consumers and provide them with easy access to repairs rather than buying new models.

The Ministry headed by Pablo Bustinduy of the far-left Sumar party has included the idea in a draft bill of the Sustainable Consumption Act, which was recently approved by the Council of Ministers.

In the text are several measures to extend the life of electrical appliances by encouraging repairs during the legal warranty period by increasing them by a year when the consumer opts for repair instead of replacement when using the warranty.

In addition, the manufacturer, distributor or importer, if from outside the EU, will be obliged to cover 20 percent of the cost of repairs during the first two years after the end of the legal warranty.

This will be reduced to 10 percent if three years have passed since the end of the warranty, and to 5 percent in the fourth year.

Another tool being considered is repair vouchers for consumers, as well as plans to create an online platform where consumers can access trusted repairers in an affordable and free manner to request quotes and repairs.

The draft bill still has several requirements to meet before returning to La Moncloa and being brought to the Congress of Deputies. The bill must first be submitted to a public hearing so that civil society including consumer organisations and manufacturers' associations can make their contributions.

It will also be put to the Consumer and User Council, the representative body for consumer organisations. Reports will also have to be requested from institutions such as the Council of State and the Economic and Social Council (CES) and the opinions of regional authorities will also be sought.

Sources consulted estimate that it will take “around six months” for the bill to actually reach the Congress of Deputies.