Italy's Right-to-Repair Decree Takes Effect Oct. 22: A Consumer Guide

Starting October 22, 2026, Italian consumers have new legal tools to demand repairs instead of replacements for broken smartphones, tablets and household appliances. The rules come from Legislative Decree 176/2026, which was published in the Official Gazette (Gazzetta Ufficiale) no. 233 on October 7, 2026, and transposes the European Union's Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on the "right to repair" into Italian law, according to the law firm Studio Avvocato Santoro, which published a legal summary of the decree.

Why this is happening now

The EU directive set July 31, 2026, as the deadline for all member states to transpose it into national law, according to Right to Repair Europe, a policy coalition that tracks the directive's implementation. Italy missed that deadline: on September 25, 2026, the European Commission opened infringement proceedings against 18 member states, including Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Poland, for failing to notify full transposition, Right to Repair Europe reported. Italy's decree, which arrived roughly two and a half months after the EU-wide deadline, is the country's belated response.

Which products are covered

The obligations apply only to goods listed in Annex II-decies of the Italian decree, which largely mirrors the EU directive's own Annex II, according to Studio Avvocato Santoro and Il Giornale.

• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Refrigerators
• Tumble dryers
• Vacuum cleaners
• Electronic displays
• Smartphones and tablets

At EU level, Right to Repair Europe lists additional product categories falling under the same directive, including mobile phones, servers, welding equipment, and local space heaters. Batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters will be added from February 18, 2027.

How to use the new rules: a step-by-step guide

1. Check whether your product appears on the covered list above; the repair obligations only apply to those specific categories.
2. If the product develops a defect while still under the legal guarantee, tell the seller you want it repaired rather than replaced. Under the decree, choosing repair extends the seller's liability period by an additional 12 months, a one-time extension, according to both Il Giornale and Studio Avvocato Santoro.
3. Ask the repairer for a European Repair Information Form. This optional but standardized document must state the type of repair, the final or estimated price, the maximum cost, the expected timeframe, and whether a substitute product is available while the repair is carried out, Il Giornale reported.
4. Once you receive that form, you have 30 days to accept the quoted terms before they expire, according to Studio Avvocato Santoro.
5. Consumers can ask a manufacturer to repair a covered product even after the standard legal guarantee has expired, a right EUbusiness said applies EU-wide. The Italian decree requires manufacturers to carry out the repair "within a reasonable time" and at "a reasonable price or free of charge," per Studio Avvocato Santoro's reading of the text.
6. Compare authorized service centers with independent repair shops. The decree allows independent repairers to use original or compatible spare parts, which Il Giornale said is intended to reduce consumers' dependence on manufacturers' own service networks.
7. If repair genuinely is not possible, ask about a refurbished replacement: sellers may offer a reconditioned unit free of charge, or consumers can explicitly request one, according to Il Giornale.
8. If you suspect a seller or manufacturer is not complying, you can raise the issue with Italian consumer-protection authorities. Administrative fines under the decree range from €5,000 to €50,000 per violation, rising to €10,000–€100,000 for serious or repeated breaches, Studio Avvocato Santoro reported.

What manufacturers and sellers must now do

Studio Avvocato Santoro said manufacturers of covered goods must offer spare parts and repair tools at reasonable prices. EUbusiness separately reported that, under the EU-wide directive, manufacturers must publish clear information and indicative prices for repair services on their websites. If a manufacturer is based outside the EU, the decree shifts the obligation to its authorized EU representative, or failing that, to the importer, or failing that, to the distributor, according to Il Giornale's summary of the text.

Key dates at a glance

Beyond Italy, EUbusiness reported that the EU-wide rules already let consumers request repairs for products like smartphones, washing machines and refrigerators even after the standard legal guarantee has expired, with manufacturers obliged to act within a "reasonable price" and "reasonable timeframe." The European Commission is also building an online repair platform to help consumers find local repair services, EUbusiness said.