The right to repair is meant to promote the repair of goods. On 25 June 2026, the German Bundestag passed a bill that is meant to transpose EU Directive (EU) 2024/1799 into German law. This guide separates what is already settled from what is still open.
Short answer: The Bundestag passed the bill on 25 June 2026 in an amended version (printed paper 21/5923, amendment 21/6693). The new element is a manufacturer duty to repair outside the warranty. If a repair takes place as part of subsequent performance, the warranty period is extended by twelve months. The resolution does not state a date from which the duties apply. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points at a glance
- The law transposes Directive (EU) 2024/1799 into German law. The Bundestag approved the draft on 25 June 2026.
- Manufacturers receive a new subsection of the German Civil Code (BGB) that contains a repair obligation applying outside the statutory warranty.
- If a device is repaired as part of subsequent performance, the warranty period is extended by twelve months.
- Repair businesses can voluntarily provide you with a European form for repair information.
- The Bundesrat, promulgation and entry into force are still part of the procedure and must be checked before any decision in an individual case.
Which stages of the procedure are already settled?
For a topic that is still moving through the legislative process, it helps to look at three stages separately. A step counts as passed once a constitutional body has agreed and the date is fixed. A proposal remains in progress as long as further steps are outstanding. Something is only planned when the government has announced it without a legal text.
- Passed: On 25 June 2026 the Bundestag adopted the government bill (printed paper 21/5923) in the version of the Legal Affairs Committee (printed paper 21/6693).
- In progress: the Bundesrat, promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette and entry into force. The resolution contains no details on these.
- Planned: for the European repair platform and further support measures, the government intends to take non-legislative steps and inform the European Commission.
What the manufacturer duty means in practice
Under the resolution, the BGB receives a new subsection that governs a manufacturer repair obligation outside the warranty. The warranty, by contrast, is directed at the seller and covers defects that already existed at the time of purchase. Which claims you have therefore depends on whether you turn to the seller or whether the manufacturer itself is obliged.
Which devices and which repairs are covered will follow from the wording of the final law. Until it is promulgated, you should not treat statements about individual product categories as secured. This applies in particular to devices such as smartphones or laptops, where the scope of the duty should be checked in the legal text itself.
How does the warranty change when a device is repaired?
The warranty period is extended by twelve months if a repair takes place as part of subsequent performance. This rule is most likely to matter in everyday life, because it attaches to a defect that you would report to the seller anyway. If you are currently looking at a price increase or a contract question, the guide Price increases in mobile contracts: when you can cancel without notice (in German) covers a different consumer topic.
| Duty | Who is affected | Status according to the Bundestag |
|---|---|---|
| Repair obligation outside the warranty | Manufacturers | Resolution of 25.06.2026, new BGB subsection |
| Warranty extended by twelve months | Sellers, when a repair takes place as part of subsequent performance | Resolution of 25.06.2026 |
| European form for repair information | Repair businesses, voluntary | Inclusion in the introductory act to the BGB is planned |
| Start of application | Everyone affected | Not stated in the resolution |
Assumption for the worked example: your laptop is repaired as part of subsequent performance, and the warranty still has six months left to run. After the twelve-month extension, 18 months remain. Whether the extension applies to your device depends on the date of entry into force, which still needs to be checked.
What the right to repair does not regulate
A guarantee is given voluntarily by the manufacturer, whereas the repair obligation is set out in statute. The two terms are often confused in everyday speech, because both can end in a repair. Whether a defect exists and which rights you have as a result is governed by the law on defects. The repair obligation concerns the repairability of a product.
The extent to which costs are borne also depends on the individual case and on what the final statutory text expressly provides. That question is answered by the promulgated wording, not by a parliamentary resolution alone.
Repair or replace: what you should consider
Whether a repair is worthwhile can be organised around a few criteria. The decision remains yours, and offers from workshops or manufacturers differ considerably.
| Criterion | Points towards repair | Points towards replacement |
|---|---|---|
| Age of the device | The warranty still runs or is extended by a repair | The warranty has expired and spare parts are hard to obtain |
| Type of defect | A clearly limited fault, for example in the battery | Several faults or damage to the housing |
| Data situation | Your data can be backed up beforehand | The device holds data that cannot be backed up |
Before any repair, back up your data and check access locks. This matters especially for encrypted devices, because access locks can make it harder for a workshop to get in.
How the law comes about in Germany
An EU directive obliges member states to achieve a goal. Each country decides for itself how to implement it, which is why Germany needs its own statute. The federal government has presented a bill, which the Bundestag adopted in an amended version. Further steps in the procedure follow, and the resolution gives no details on them.
Frequently asked questions
Does the right to repair already apply?
As of November 2026, the Bundestag has passed a resolution. The resolution gives no details on entry into force or on when the individual duties apply. Wait for the promulgated text in the Federal Law Gazette before relying on it.
Must a manufacturer repair every device?
The resolution regulates a repair obligation outside the warranty. How far it extends in detail will only become clear from the final wording, with all requirements and exceptions. A general answer is therefore not possible.
Does my warranty extend automatically?
Under the resolution, the period is extended by twelve months when a repair takes place as part of subsequent performance. Without such a repair, this law does not change the warranty period.
What is the European form for repair information?
Repair businesses can provide you with this form voluntarily. The resolution provides for including it in the introductory act to the BGB. How often it will be used in practice remains to be seen.
Where can I find the final statutory text?
The promulgated text is published in the Federal Law Gazette. The Bundestag printed papers document the procedure and the version that was voted on.
What to do now
- Note the purchase date, the seller and the type of defect, so that you can follow the warranty period.
- Report the defect in writing and ask for subsequent performance before you commission a repair yourself.
- Back up your data before any repair and remove access locks where the workshop needs them.
- Follow the Bundesrat and the promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette before you rely on the extension.
Related reading
- Digital rights in everyday life: an overview for students (in German)
- Price increases in mobile contracts: when you can cancel without notice (in German)
- Price increases for streaming services: when they can be ineffective (in German)
- Data breach at a service: what you should do now (in German)
Sources: German Bundestag, Plenary Archive week 26/2026: Right to repair (accessed 2 November 2026)
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
