EU’s Reparability Index – how will it work?

The EU’s new energy label will be required on smartphones from 20 June 2025.

One of the categories on the label is a Reparability Index. The index is expected become the environmental rating with the largest reach and presence in Europe, as it has to be visibly present at the point of sale.

So how does it actually work? It might be less complicated than you'd think.

How are components and parameters weighted?

The Reparability Index assesses six parameters of the repair journey across eight key components. Both the repair parameters and components are weighted, meaning that some will contribute more to the total score than others.

Components: Battery (30%), Display (30%), Back Cover (10%), Front Camera (5%), Rear Camera (5%), Charging port (5%), Buttons (5%), Microphones (5%), Speaker (5%).

Parameters: Disassembly Depth (25%), Fasteners (15%), Tools (15%), Spare parts (15%), Software Updates (15%), Repair Information (15%).

Each component is assessed on each parameter. The table below shows the combined weighting of each parameter per component.

Note that foldable smartphones have a different weighting where the hinge is the third highest weighted component.

However, the greater question is how each parameter is measured. Here, a score system from 1-5 (low to high) is used with different criteria on each parameter. Let’s look at the details:

Parameters in depth:

Disassembly Depth counts the number of steps required for the part to be fully assembled:

• Two steps or less gives 5 points
• 3-5 steps gives 4 points
• 6-10 steps gives 3 points
• 11-15 steps gives 2 points
• More than 15 steps gives 1 point

A side note: The directive specifies exactly what counts as a step.

Fasteners type that connects the component to the device:

• Reusable fasteners give 5 points
• Resupplied fasteners give 3 points
• Removable fasteners give 1 point

Tools type needed for the repair:

• No tool needed gives 5 points
• Basic tools gives 4 points
• Tools supplied for no extra cost together with the spare part gives 3 points
• Tools supplied for no extra cost with original product gives 2 points
• Commercially available tools gives 1 point

Spare parts availability:

• Availability to all end-users and professional repairers gives 5 points.
• Spare parts for displays, batteries, back covers, and cameras available to all; the rest to professional repairers gives 4 points
• Spare parts for displays, batteries and back covers available to all; the rest to professional repairers give 3 points
• Spare parts for displays and batteries available to all; the rest to professional repairers give 2 points
• Spare parts for displays are available to all; the rest to professional repairers give 1 points

Software updates measuring the minimum guaranteed years security and functionality updates:

• 7 years or more gives 5 points
• 6 years gives 3 points
• 5 years gives 1 point

Repair and maintenance information and how easy it is to access:

• Publicly available to end-users (except electronic board diagrams) and professional repairers (including electronic board diagrams) for no cost gives 5 points.
• Available to professional repairers at no cost gives 3 points.
• Available to professional repairers for a reasonable fee gives 1 point.

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Final calculations and categorization:

Followingly, you take the point from each parameter-component combination and multiply with the total weighting. The output is a score 1-5 that determines the category which will be used on the energy label.

Reparability class A has a minimum score of 4.00.

Class B between 3.99 and 3.35

Class C between 3.34 and 2.55

Class D between 2.54 and 1.75

Class E between 1.74 and 1.00