Away from the throwaway society: Federal Consumer Protection Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and her counterparts in the federal states have spoken out in favor of a right to repairs. A repair law is currently being drawn up that is intended to ensure the availability of spare parts and repair instructions, said Lemke after the consumer: interior protection ministers’ conference in Constance on Friday.
In addition, the Federal Ministry is responsible for presenting a new funding program that will be launched at the end of the year. “With this program we will strengthen and support repair facilities and repair infrastructure.” The goal is to establish a “culture of repairs”.
In order to conserve resources, the ministers in their Konstanz resolution call on the federal government to examine the establishment of a nationwide repair bonus. “This is intended to make repairs more attractive in the short term and, if necessary, also in the medium term through targeted financial support compared to buying a new product in the event of damage,” the paper says. How high such a bonus could be and who is entitled to it is not in the decision.
The conference of consumer protection ministers began on Wednesday in Constance, chaired by Baden-Württemberg. 57 items were on the agenda. The meeting of ministers is regarded as a leading conference and source of inspiration for consumer protection policy in Germany. (dpa)