Parliament has passed on first reading a bill to amend the law on the sale of goods and the supply of digital content and digital services. All parliamentary groups backed the changes except Revival, whose MPs abstained.
The bill brings Bulgarian law into line with an EU directive of 13 June 2024, which sets common rules to encourage the repair of goods. It includes steps to promote fixing consumer goods still under the legal guarantee, plus ways to make repairs easier once that guarantee has run out.
The bill's explanatory notes say the directive clears away obstacles that stop people repairing their belongings. Until now, consumers have often faced hassle, unclear information or trouble finding repair services. The aim is to make repair a normal, sustainable choice for consumers, which helps meet the climate and environmental goals of the European Green Deal.
While a product is still under its legal guarantee, the directive sets out several key rules:
- Repair comes before other remedies, including replacement with a new item, whenever it is cheaper than buying new.
- A new "repairability" requirement is added to the criteria goods must meet.
- The guarantee period is extended by one year if the consumer chooses repair over another remedy.
- Sellers must give clearer information about extending the guarantee and encourage the use of refurbished goods.
For goods whose guarantee has already expired, the bill requires sellers to tell customers who can repair them. A standard European information form will be used for this, giving consumers clear details on their repair options. A European online platform will also be set up to connect consumers with repair services. Manufacturers will also have to repair goods that EU law already requires to be repairable.
During the debate, Revival MP Boris Aladzhov said his objections concerned goods no longer under legal guarantee. He explained that, under the new section of the directive, repairs must be free or offered at a "reasonable price" — covering labour, materials and spare parts, plus the usual trade mark-up charged for repairing that type of goods in the sector concerned.
"Who decides when it's free and when it's a reasonable price?" Aladzhov asked fellow MPs. He said Revival's concerns were about how "reasonable price" is defined and worded, and about the conditions under which the repair itself would be carried out.
"We will abstain from backing the bill as it stands, and we will put forward amendments to clear up this wording," Aladzhov said in closing.