A bill implementing the EU’s right to repair rules had its first reading in the Folketing on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. It is meant to make repairs of appliances, phones and tablets easier for consumers in Denmark.
DR reports that Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen of the Social Democrats has tabled the bill. It follows an EU directive intended to strengthen the incentive to repair goods rather than replace them immediately.
Presenting the proposal from the podium in the Folketing, Malte Larsen of the Social Democrats said it should be easier to extend the life of products people already own. According to Larsen, that is good for consumers and for the green transition.
The rules will cover large household appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers, fridges and freezers. As DR notes, they will also apply to mobile phones, tablets and data storage products such as hard drives.
The measure stems from Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on common rules promoting the repair of goods, adopted on June 13, 2024, according to EUR-Lex. Manufacturers must carry out repairs either free of charge or at a reasonable price, and within a reasonable time after receiving the item. DR notes the directive does not specify what a reasonable time means.
Producers may also not make repairs unnecessarily difficult. That includes contract terms or other requirements that in practice hinder a repair, according to DR’s reporting.
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The directive is a total harmonization measure. It must be implemented across the EU, with no room for national exceptions unless the text explicitly allows them. On a few points, member states can make their own choices.
One option concerns a longer complaint period when a consumer chooses repair, and another allows national repairers to register on the shared European repair platform. The government proposes not to use either option, meaning Denmark will not extend the complaint period by 12 months after a repair. A consultation draft from January 2026, summarized by Lovguiden, had proposed such an extension.
Why the bill is being handled now
Denmark did not implement the directive before the deadline of July 31, 2026, DR reports. EUR-Lex states that member states were required to adopt and apply the national measures from that date. A briefing from DI Handel in March 2026 also pointed to that timetable and to the specific product groups listed in the directive’s Annex II.
An earlier bill was tabled in June 2026 but was not finished before the deadline, and the process came in the wake of the general election in March, per DR. Wammen therefore proposes that the law take effect as soon as it is adopted and published. B.T. reported the same timing and the missed deadline.
