Does Sweden Reduce VAT on Repairs?

In short: Sweden has a history of reducing the VAT charged on certain repairs as a way of encouraging people to fix rather than replace. It is a useful piece of national context, but it sits apart from the EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1799), which is a legal framework rather than a tax measure. A tax incentive, not the legal right The reduced VAT on repairs is best understood as a fiscal nudge: it lowers the cost of repair to make it more attractive than buying new. The EU right to repair, by contrast, creates legal obligations — such as a right to request repair even after the guarantee and a European Repair Information Form. One works through price; the other sets rules. Together they reflect Sweden's strong repair culture. What it means for sellers Treat reduced VAT on repairs as national context reflecting Sweden's repair-friendly market. Do not rely on specific rates or scope, which can change over time. Focus your compliance on the EU right to repair, which brings binding obligations once transposed. Swedish transposition of the EU directive is still pending, with a deadline of 31 July 2026. National specifics — including any VAT treatment of repairs — can change, so treat this as a qualitative guide and confirm the current position with the relevant Swedish authority before relying on it. For context, see our Sweden country page. This article is educational, not legal advice.

Must Portuguese Sellers Inform Buyers About Repair?

In short: yes — under the EU Right to Repair Directive, sellers are expected to inform consumers about the availability of repair and, where relevant, about reparability. This flows from Directive (EU) 2024/1799, in force since 30 July 2024, which Portugal must transpose by 31 July 2026. Portuguese transposition is still pending at the time of writing. What the information duty covers The idea is that consumers should not have to guess whether an item can be repaired. In practice, this means being upfront in your product information and after-sales messaging about whether and how a product can be repaired. The directive also introduces a European Repair Information Form, which sets out the defect, the proposed repair, the price or estimate and the expected duration when a repair is requested. What sellers should do now Plan to give clear repair and reparability information in Portuguese. Be ready to provide a European Repair Information Form on request. Watch for Portugal's transposing legislation ahead of the 31 July 2026 deadline. Because transposition is pending and national specifics can change, treat this as a qualitative guide and confirm the current position with the relevant Portuguese authority before relying on it. For context, see our Portugal country page. This article is educational, not legal advice.

Does Austria Have a Repair Bonus?

In short: Austria has run a national repair incentive, commonly known as the Reparaturbonus, that has helped consumers offset part of the cost of repairing everyday goods. It is worth understanding as national context, but it is separate from the EU Right to Repair Directive (Directive (EU) 2024/1799), which is a legal framework rather than a subsidy. A subsidy, not the legal right The Reparaturbonus is best understood as a financial incentive: it lowers the price a consumer pays to have something repaired, encouraging repair over replacement. The EU right to repair, by contrast, creates legal obligations — such as a right to request repair even after the guarantee and a European Repair Information Form. One nudges behaviour through cost; the other sets rules. What it means for sellers Treat the Reparaturbonus as national context that reflects Austria's strong repair culture. Do not rely on the exact scheme details, which have varied over time. Focus your compliance on the EU right to repair, which brings binding obligations once transposed. Austrian transposition of the EU directive is still pending, with a deadline of 31 July 2026. National specifics — including any repair-bonus scheme — can change, so treat this as a qualitative guide and confirm the current position with the relevant Austrian authority before relying on it. For context, see our Austria country page. This article is educational, not legal advice.

When Must Belgium Transpose Right to Repair?

In short: Belgium must transpose the EU Right to Repair Directive into national law by 31 July 2026. The directive — Directive (EU) 2024/1799 — entered into force on 30 July 2024, and member states were given until that 2026 date to give it effect domestically. At the time of writing, Belgian transposition is still pending. Why the deadline matters A directive sets a common EU standard, but the detailed rules that bind sellers come through national law. Belgium is expected to fold the new right to repair into its Code de droit économique (the WER). Until that transposition is complete, the precise national wording and enforcement details are not yet fixed, which is why the current position is best treated as provisional. What sellers should do now Watch for Belgium's transposing legislation ahead of the 31 July 2026 deadline. Prepare to handle repair requests, including after the legal guarantee where repair is possible. Plan to provide repair information clearly, in a language your Belgian customers understand. Because transposition is pending and national specifics can change, treat this as a qualitative guide and confirm the current position with the relevant Belgian authority when it matters. For context, see our Belgium country page. This article is educational, not legal advice.

When Must Poland Transpose Right to Repair?

Poland — like every EU Member State — must transpose the Right to Repair Directive into national law by 31 July 2026. The Directive itself is already in force, but Poland's national rules are still pending. The Timeline Directive (EU) 2024/1799 entered into force on 30 July 2024. Because it is a directive rather than a regulation, it does not apply directly; each Member State must transpose it. The transposition deadline is 31 July 2026, and Poland must have national implementing rules in place by then. It is realistic to expect the Polish rules to take effect around that deadline, though the exact commencement date depends on the Polish legislative process. Why the Detail Is Still Pending Until Poland adopts and brings into effect its implementing legislation, the precise national procedures are not fixed. That includes how the Polish online repair platform will operate and how enforcement will be handled. The EU framework sets the shape; Polish law will fill in the operational detail. What Sellers Should Do Now Identify products in covered categories, such as smartphones, tablets and covered appliances. Make reparability information easy to find on Polish product pages. Prepare to signpost the European Repair Information Form and the national platform. Watch for the Polish implementing legislation to confirm the commencement date. See our Right to Repair overview and complete guide for more. This article is educational, not legal advice.

Guide

Right to Repair in Belgium: What Sellers Must Do

By Compliance Editorial Team Updated July 5, 2026 4 min read

Right to Repair

If your online store sells to consumers in Belgium, the EU Right to Repair Directive is about to reshape how you handle repairs. This is Directive (EU) 2024/1799, which entered into force on 30 July 2024 and must be transposed into national law by 31 July 2026. At the time of writing, Belgian transposition is still pending. This guide explains what the directive asks of sellers and how it is likely to reach the Belgian market.

An EU right, applied under Belgian law

The right to repair comes from an EU directive, which sets a common standard across the Union. Because it is a directive rather than a regulation, each member state transposes it into national law. Belgium is expected to fold the new rules into its Code de droit économique (in Dutch, the Wetboek van economisch recht, or WER). The substance is the same EU right, but it will be enforced through Belgian rules and by Belgian authorities. For the underlying rules, see our right to repair law page and the complete right to repair guide.

A right to request repair, even after the guarantee

The headline change is that consumers gain a right to request repair for certain products even after the legal guarantee period has ended, where repair is technically possible. This sits alongside the existing guarantee regime rather than replacing it. During the legal guarantee, a consumer can still choose between repair and replacement; the new right extends the repair conversation beyond that window.

The European Repair Information Form

To make repair offers transparent and comparable, the directive introduces a European Repair Information Form. On request, a repairer sets out the nature of the defect, the proposed repair, the price or an estimate, and how long the work should take. For a Belgian audience, remember the multilingual context: Belgium works in Dutch, French and German, and repair information should reach consumers in a language they understand for the region you serve.

National repair platforms

The directive envisages national online platforms that help consumers find repairers, sellers of refurbished goods and buyers of defective items for refurbishment. These platforms are meant to make repair a genuinely visible option rather than a hidden one. Belgium will need to provide access to such a platform as part of its transposition, and sellers may find it useful to point customers towards it.

A 12-month guarantee extension on repair

Where a consumer chooses repair under the legal guarantee, the directive extends that guarantee by an additional 12 months for the repaired defect. The aim is to reward repair over replacement and to give consumers confidence that choosing a fix will not leave them worse off. If you handle repairs for Belgian customers, you will need to track these extended periods.

Restrictions on anti-repair practices

The directive restricts practices that make independent or self-repair harder than it needs to be. Consider these common themes:

Contractual, hardware or software techniques that block the use of compatible spare parts are curtailed.
Refusing to repair purely because an earlier repair was carried out by someone else is discouraged.
The goal is a fair repair market, not one locked to a single manufacturer channel.

Informing customers about repair and reparability

Sellers are expected to inform consumers about the availability of repair and, where relevant, about reparability. In practice this means being upfront in your product information and after-sales messaging about whether and how an item can be repaired. Clear, honest information supports both compliance and customer trust.

A practical checklist for Belgian sales

Watch for Belgium’s transposition, expected by the 31 July 2026 deadline.
Prepare to handle repair requests, including after the legal guarantee where repair is possible.
Be ready to provide repair information clearly, in a language your customers understand.
Track the extra 12-month guarantee on repaired items.

For more on the market you are selling into, see our Belgium country page. Because transposition is still pending and national specifics can change, treat the details here as a qualitative starting point and confirm the current position with the relevant Belgian authority when it matters.

This article is educational, not legal advice.

An EU right, applied under Belgian law

A right to request repair, even after the guarantee

The European Repair Information Form

National repair platforms

A 12-month guarantee extension on repair

Restrictions on anti-repair practices

Informing customers about repair and reparability

A practical checklist for Belgian sales

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