The Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy, Investment, and Industry has voted in favor, at the first reading, of a bill to amend and supplement the Law on the Provision of Digital Content and Digital Services for the Sale of Goods. The main novelty in the regulatory framework is the planned one-year extension of the product warranty period in cases where the product has undergone repairs.
The proposed amendments to Bulgarian legislation transpose the requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/1799, which establishes common rules to encourage the repair of goods. Deputy Minister of Economy, Investment, and Industry Levent Memish presented the bill and emphasized that it is a key element of the European Union's drive toward developing a sustainable and circular economy. The reasoning behind the document states that encouraging repair as an alternative to purchasing new items will lead to a longer service life for goods and a significant reduction in waste.
Memish explained that the bill is based on two main mechanisms: stimulating repairs within the legal warranty period and facilitating the process after its expiration. Sellers will be required to actively encourage consumers to choose the repair of a non-conforming product over its replacement with a new one. Retailers will have to inform customers of their right to choose between repair and replacement, while also explaining the option for a one-year warranty extension upon repair. An important clarification is that this one-year extension will apply only to purchases made after July 30, 2026.
The second significant change concerns the obligations of manufacturers after the expiration of the initial warranty period. They will be required to offer repair services either free of charge or at a reasonable price. To ensure "repairability," requirements will be placed on goods regarding easy access to spare parts, easier disassembly, and the provision of necessary tools and technical information. This regulation covers specific product groups:
- washing machines and dishwashers;
- refrigerators;
- electronic displays;
- vacuum cleaners;
- mobile phones and tablets.
The bill introduces a ban on manufacturers obstructing repairs through software or hardware techniques, as well as through restrictive contractual clauses, unless there are justified and legitimate reasons for doing so. It also rules out the possibility of refusing service based solely on the fact that the product has already been repaired by an external provider. To assist citizens, Bulgaria will utilize a national subdivision of the common European online repair platform. The resource will be in Bulgarian, free to use, and will allow for connections between consumers, repair shops, sellers of refurbished goods, and dealers of defective appliances.
The Commission for Consumer Protection (CCP) will assume the role of the national contact point and will administer the platform. It will determine the conditions for its operation, explain the rights of consumers and businesses, and penalize violations affecting collective interests. CCP Chairman Alexander Kolachev responded to a parliamentary question by stating that no additional financial resources are needed to cover the new obligations. However, he emphasized that given the many new tasks assigned to the commission, it is necessary to provide support to ensure it maintains the effectiveness of its work.
At the same meeting, the committee also voted on a bill for amendments to the Law on Administrative Regulation of the Production of Optical Discs and Matrices, which was approved without debate and with the support of 20 deputies. The changes aim to refine licensing definitions and introduce a requirement that information needed for administrative procedures be collected ex officio.