Right to repair, chargers and e-waste – the rules in the EU and Slovakia

This overview explains the rules in plain language, but it does not replace the wording of the legislation. In a specific dispute or warranty claim, go by the text of the law and the retailer’s terms.

The common USB-C charger

Directive (EU) 2022/2380 amended the Radio Equipment Directive. Member States must apply its rules from 28 December 2024 for phones, tablets, cameras, headphones, keyboards, mice and other small devices, and from 28 April 2026 for laptops. Devices must have a USB-C port and, if they charge at more than 15 W, also support USB Power Delivery. The manufacturer must state the minimum and maximum charging power on a label, and the retailer must also offer the device without a charger.

Details: Charging a laptop over USB-C.

The directive on the repair of goods (right to repair)

Directive (EU) 2024/1799 was published in the Official Journal on 10 July 2024. Member States had to transpose it by 31 July 2026 and apply it from that day. The main points:

Rule	What it covers
The manufacturer must repair, even after the legal guarantee (at a reasonable price)	products listed in Annex II of the directive
Ban on obstructing repair through contract terms, hardware or software without a legitimate reason	products in Annex II
Spare parts at a reasonable price	products in Annex II
The seller’s liability is extended by 12 months if you choose repair as the remedy in a claim	all goods (for contracts concluded after 31 July 2026)
European Repair Information Form (voluntary)	repairers
European online platform for repair	everyone

Laptops and desktop computers are not in Annex II yet. The annex lists products for which repairability requirements already exist – among them electronic displays, servers and data storage products, mobile phones, cordless phones and tablets. The Commission can add to the annex when it adopts new requirements.

How Slovakia transposed it

Slovakia transposed the directive through Act No. 310/2025 Coll. (zákon č. 310/2025 Z. z.), which mainly amends the Consumer Protection Act, Act No. 108/2024 Coll. (zákon č. 108/2024 Z. z. o ochrane spotrebiteľa), and the Civil Code (Občiansky zákonník). The relevant provisions have been in force since 31 July 2026:

• § 13b of the Consumer Protection Act – at the consumer’s request, the manufacturer must repair goods beyond the trader’s legal liability where legislation listed in Annex II of the directive sets repairability requirements for them; free of charge or for a reasonable price, and within a reasonable time.
• § 13a – before concluding a contract, a repairer may provide the European Repair Information Form (európsky formulár o oprave); at the consumer’s request it provides it free of charge, and the terms in it are binding on the repairer for at least 30 days.
• The Civil Code – if you choose repair when making a claim, the seller’s liability for defects is extended by 12 months after the first repair (according to the commentary on epravo.sk, once and for the whole item).

Replaceable batteries

Article 11 of the Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 applies from 18 February 2027. It requires that portable batteries in devices can be removed and replaced by the end user, with exceptions. In January 2025 the Commission issued guidance on its interpretation (C/2025/214). Exactly how the rule will affect laptops depends on how the exceptions are applied – we will not try to predict it.

Electrical waste in Slovakia

The Slovak Waste Act, Act No. 79/2015 Coll. (zákon č. 79/2015 Z. z. o odpadoch), as in force from 1 January 2026, says that the holder of electrical waste from households must hand it over (§ 38(1)):

• to a distributor for take-back,
• to a place designated by the municipality for separate collection,
• to a person authorised to collect electrical waste,
• and, for light sources and very small e-waste, also to an e-waste collection point.

Take-back at the retailer (§ 32(23)):

• when buying a new device, one for one, free of charge, if the old appliance is of the same category and has the same function;
• very small e-waste (up to 25 cm) and light sources free of charge and without any obligation to buy, in shops whose sales area for electrical equipment is at least 400 m², or in their immediate vicinity.

The retailer must display information about free take-back in a visible place, and for distance sales must provide it where goods are handed over or at its warehouse (§ 37(1)). It may refuse equipment that is missing essential components or is contaminated (§ 37(2)).

These rules are based on the WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU (Article 5(2)).

Before you hand it in: your data

E-waste with a drive in it contains your data. Before handing it in, wipe the drive with a secure erase tool (for an SSD, the manufacturer’s function or a system reset that erases the drive), or take the drive out and keep it.