by Rhoda Wilson, Expose News:
The European Union is proposing a controversial piece of legislation that would effectively ban the right-to-repair for vehicles older than 15 years old. The aim according to the European Commission is “to renew the car fleet and encourage Europeans to buy new, environmentally friendly vehicles.” Thus, forcing individuals to buy newer cars, and more often while many other individuals will undoubtedly be priced out of car ownership, which will satisfy what is arguably, the real aim, the planned immobilisation of the people.
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The publication Outdoor Enthusiasts Magazine (OEM) explained that ‘The Brussels proposal is based on the concept of a residual vehicle, a category for vehicles over 15 years old whose faults affect the engine, gearbox, brakes, steering, chassis or bodywork. Therefore, if this regulation is approved, the repair or replacement of any of these components in a vehicle older than 15 years will be prohibited.’
Therefore, “if a component or critical part of the vehicle cannot be repaired, this may impair the vehicle’s usage and just might cause it to to be sent to the junk heap. ‘Any vehicle destined for waste without polluting the environment and using part of its components is considered residual,’ the magazine clarifies.
“If repair is not possible, end-of-life automobile waste management. In this case, from the oldest fragments. A way to promote the so-called “circular economy.” “The point of the law”, the magazine says, “is to become the first territory/bloc in the world to cut transportation emissions down to 55% by 2030 (less than 6 six years away), apart of the “Fit for 55” scheme, and to completely eliminate them by 2050.”
EU Reasons for the Proposals
The proposal is an amendment to the European Commission’s preexisting “circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles.”
There are objectives for the European industry to meet the the European Green Deal which aims to ensure by 2050 a “climate neutral, clean and circular economy, where the management of resources is optimised and pollution minimised.”
They have two action plans that “lay the roadmap for the European industry to meet the objectives of the Green Deal:
- Action plan 1 , the Circular Economy, which they say targets how products are designed, promotes circular economy processes, encourages sustainable consumption and aims to make sustainable products the norm.
- Action plan 2 the new industrial strategy for Europe with the main goal to harness the significant potential in global markets for low-emission technologies, sustainable products and services in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.
The new Industrial Strategy for Europe “will,” says the EU Commission “lead the twin green and digital transitions and become even more competitive globally.” and will “help industry to reduce their carbon footprint by providing affordable, clean technology solutions and by developing new business models.
Affordable?
“Affordable” they say, but “affordable” is a relative term, and vast numbers of individuals will not be consumers of this new “norm.”
According to OEM ‘the reality is that many Europeans choose to extend the useful life of their vehicles. Mostly due to lack of money to buy a new car. In Portugal, one in four vehicles is over 20 years old and the average age of registered cars is over 13 years. And it’s a trend that extends to the EU’s economic powers. For example, in Germany, the average age is already 10 years old.”
“The responsibility rests with the manufacturers. Adoption of criteria for reuse of auto parts is indeed at stake. In this case, manufacturers must provide detailed instructions for replacing parts, as well as determining whether a car is still being repaired or has reached the end of its useful life. What is this for? To prevent a car that is no longer in good condition from being sold as a used vehicle.”
Mechanics Put Out of Business
WP point out that this would hit third-party auto mechanics very hard and might put them out of business, and could even potentially void the warranties on parts and vehicles in the repair is done at home.
Additionally, Spanish-based JG Classics points out that the law would attempt to mitigate the spread of scraped components through uncontrolled third countries.
The controversial proposed legislation has caused some European car enthusiasts and repairmen to chastise the proposed amendments. Euro Weekly also highlighted “The proposal, while not forcing owners to discard their vehicles, casts doubt on the future of vehicle repairs and sales, especially for cars potentially deemed historical.”
