Government Proposes Changes To Consumer Protection Act To Ban Planned Obsolescence

On June 1, 2023, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill 29: An Act to protect consumers against planned obsolescence and to promote the durability, repairability and maintenance of goods, proposing amendments to the Consumer Protection Act (hereinafter "the Act"). In addition to prohibiting the sale of goods whose obsolescence is planned, the bill introduces a legal warranty of good working order for certain commonly used new goods.

Other proposed changes include an enhancement of the legal guarantee of available replacement parts, an obligation on merchants to provide information on the legal guarantee of good working order before entering into a contract that includes an additional guarantee, an increase in the amount of penal fines, and the possibility of imposing monetary administrative penalties for breaches of the Act's provisions. The bill also covers new protections related to the purchase of used automobiles.