Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamonn Ryan, has responsibility for the Circular Economy Strategy. The European Commission Circular Economy Action Plan includes as one of its actions - legislative and non-legislative measures establishing a new “right to repair”. My Department is currently engaged in the negotiations on the proposal for a Directive on common rules promoting the repair of goods. On 22 March 2023 a proposal for a Directive was published by the EU Commission on the common rules promoting the repair of goods, amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2394 (cooperation between national authorities on enforcement of consumer protection laws), Directives (EU) 2019/771(Sale of Goods) and (EU) 2020/1828 (Representative Actions). This proposal was one of a package of initiatives set out in the New Consumer Agenda and the Circular Economy Action Plan and follows up on the European Green Deal. The proposal aims to promote sustainable consumption via an increase in the repair and reuse of defective goods purchased by consumers within and beyond the legal guarantee of conformity. The proposal aims to make it easier and more cost-effective for consumers to repair as opposed to replace goods. It is expected that this will result in savings for consumers and support some of the objectives of the European Green Deal, such as reducing waste and carbon emissions. More demand for repairs should translate into a boost to the repair sector. The Department carried out a public consultation on the proposal in July 2023 and 18 responses were received, all of which are published on the website at enterprise.gov.ie/en/consultations. The proposal is currently at Trialogue stage and has yet to be agreed. Once the proposal is adopted as a Directive and published, Ireland, like other Member States, will be required to transpose the mandatory provisions contained within it.