Navigating the new repairability index in Belgium: key updates and deadline

A few months ago, we informed you about the obligation to display a repairability or durability index for certain products. In case you missed our article on the subject, you can read it here.

Now it's time to give you a few updates about this obligation, which comes into force on 2 May 2025.

Launch of the product repairability platform

The Federal Public Service Health will launch a new product repairability platform and has published a Q&A document recently.

The platform will assist professionals, consumer organizations and federal authorities in implementing the repairability index, which will be mandatory from 2 May 2025 for products such as dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, high-pressure cleaners, lawnmowers and laptops.

Missing technical standards for bicycles, electric bicycles and electric scooters

The technical standards to establish the repairability index have been defined for household dishwashers, vacuum cleaners (corded, cordless, robotic), high-pressure cleaners, lawnmowers (corded, cordless, robotic) and laptops (excluding tablets). However, technical standards are still missing for bicycles, electric bicycles and electric scooters, which are also covered by the repairability index. These missing standards are not expected to be adopted soon. In any case, a transition period will be granted once they are in place.

Pending executive decrees

Several decrees are yet to be adopted to fully implement the repairability and durability index. The adoption of these decrees will depend on the new government's priorities. The decrees include:

• A Royal Decree concerning the durability index.
• A Ministerial Decree determining the format of the URL and QR code used to provide more information to consumers about repairability and durability.
• A Royal or Ministerial Decree determining the operating procedures of the platform.

The Federal Public Service Health will soon be putting FAQs online, including guidelines and application tips for displaying the repairability index, the URLs and the QR codes.

Penalties for non-compliance

The Federal Public Service Health clarified that fines for non-compliance with the repairability index, as set by the law of 17 March 2024, are based on the number of products in breach, up to the maximum amount indicated in the law (being an administrative fine of between €800 and €120,000). However, the FPS Health did not confirm whether prosecution for non-compliance applies only to manufacturers and importers, or whether retailers and distributors can also be prosecuted.

Calculation tool

A calculation tool to help determine the repairability index is available on the FPS Health’s website.