“This is the end of car repairs. The EU introduces a ban”? Fake news is back

There are renewed outcries about the European Union's alleged plans to regulate the repair of used cars. This content and comments also appear on websites and online accounts that share Russian propaganda theses. Almost a year ago, the message was spread that replacing vehicle engines in Europe would soon be banned, or even more broadly – that it would be impossible to repair cars at all. Then we translatedwhere did this come from and that it is not true.

A few weeks later, in February and March 2024, another version of this message appeared – European Union institutions would then allegedly work to ensure that cars older than 15 years could no longer be repaired. This message was then disseminated in English-language media, as well as on the Polish network. “The average age of a car in Poland is about 14.5 years. The EU wants to ban repairs of cars older than 15 years. There is one goal – no private cars. A blind man cannot see”; “They will ban repairs of cars older than 15 years. This is how they will deal with you and force you to go to electricians” – these are examples of Polish-language entries from almost a year ago (original spelling).

Now Internet users are outraged and commenting publication on November 15, one of the Polish-language websites disseminating the theses of Russian propaganda. The article was titled “This is the end of car repairs. The EU introduces a ban.”

“The proposed EU regulations, which are to come into force in the coming years, are intended to limit the possibility of repairing cars older than 15 years, especially in cases of serious faults, such as engine, braking or steering system failures. The European Union argues that these changes are crucial to improve air quality and reduce exhaust emissions, which will affect the health of residents and the climate. Owners of older cars will be forced to scrap them instead of repairing them,” we read in the article.

Although there is no specific information, such as an indication of what document it is about, and no official statements, many commentators do not mind it. The reports are widely quoted and commented on on the Internet by outraged Internet users and even leading politicians.

“Millions of Polish drivers will face a challenge: New EU regulations may soon prohibit the repair of vehicles older than 15 years. For many people using such cars, this means the need to replace the vehicle, which involves high costs,” he repeated on November 18 on the X platform after the Polish-language service Jacek Saryusz-Wolskiformer Law and Justice MEP.

“'New European Union regulations may soon ban repairs of vehicles older than 15 years'. Are you happy?”; “Is there a limit to this madness?” – Internet users ask on the Internet.

The message is also present in other places. For example, in a discussion on Telewizja Republika on November 19. “If you have a car older than 15 years, you switch to a bike,” said the host of the program.Political battle of 1410“. MP Krzysztof Szymański from Konfederacja said in response that he drives an 18-year-old car and will not replace it. “I will fight for the right to use old cars, combustion engines and [ich] “repairing” – he declared. “The bike is left for you” – commented the unsigned author of the comment on the website Warsaw Portal.

Such a widely quoted and commented text from the Polish-language website also heralds a number of negative consequences for Polish drivers. He predicts that “a huge number of everyday vehicles may soon become subject to new regulations.” He writes that the demand for new cars may increase, and therefore prices. It also provides for an increase in insurance rates.

Reports about the alleged EU ban are an opportunity to spread an anti-EU message and call for leaving the European Union. “It's time to leave this corrupt institution called the European Union”; “As reasonable people said years ago, even before the referendum on what the EU was, everyone was shaking their heads because they thought that the EU would give them money for free”; “These are the consequences of giving up independence”; “Unfortunately, it seems that leaving this socialist entity called the European Union is only a matter of time”; “I guess we need to slowly prepare an evacuation scenario from this crazy place”; “I will still push the idea of ​​#PolExit” – these are examples of comments we found.

We checked whether the EU really wants to ban the repair of cars older than 15 years and where this message came from.

Already in December 2023 we explainedthat internet reports refer to the planned EU regulation on circular requirements for vehicle design and end-of-life management. However, the draft of this regulation was published in July 2023 and lasted until September 2023 consultations conducted by the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment. Its main goal is related to environmental protection. According to the project justification, this goal is to “reduce the negative environmental impacts associated with vehicle design, production, service life and end-of-life processing and to contribute to the sustainable development of the automotive and recycling sectors.”

The main controversy is caused by Art. 1 of Part A of the Annex to the project, which states that:

However, it should be emphasized that this document remains a draft. The European Commission has presented a proposal that is currently under discussion in the Council of the European Union, a body bringing together ministers responsible for the relevant area (in this case, environmental protection) from all Member States. Only they will decide in what form they will finally submit it to the first reading in the European Parliament.

Over a year ago, we wrote that the stage of work on the project was so early that in Poland the ministry that would take part in future work had not yet been selected. The Ministry of Climate and Environment informed us then that “the project is at the first stage of work at the EU level” and “currently, the competent ministry that will lead in future work on the draft regulation has not yet been identified.” The Ministry of the Environment only added that “some of the solutions contained in the draft raise doubts among member states, but currently the position of the Government of the Republic of Poland on the draft regulation has not yet been adopted.” Now we have asked the ministry whether anything has changed in this matter. We are waiting for your reply.

Nowhere in the draft EU regulation We did not find any proposed regulations banning the repair of cars, including those 15 years old and older.

A year ago, we asked the European Commission about doubts and other theories surrounding the project. At the beginning of his response, EC spokesman for environment and transport Adalbert Jahnz wrote about misleading claims about the EU's proposals and bizarre ideas. Then he stated unequivocally: “Yeah the proposal will not prevent car engines from being repaired or replaced when necessary. On the contrary, several regulations aim to make car repairs easier” (emphasis from the editor).

The representative of the European Commission then pointed out that the mentioned provision actually considers repair impossible if it requires replacing the engine, but only if such replacement would result in “loss of original vehicle identification”. And this, as Adalbert Jahnz explained, applies to a small number of carswhose specificity – this “primary identification” – is a specific engine, after which the original characteristics and value of the vehicle are lost. “Of course, this does not apply to standard cars” – the spokesman assured. “Not all vehicles requiring engine replacement will be classified as 'end of life'” – he added.

He also explained that the phrase “decommissioned” in this draft regulation is used deliberately because it is intended to curb a specific type of fraud. “Each year, three to four million old cars disappear from the statistics of European Union member states. Many of them are illegally exported and sold as 'used cars', when in fact they are no longer suitable for use,” Jahnz wrote. “This is intended to circumvent EU waste rules, which oblige companies to properly dispose of used vehicles. According to our study assessing the current directive [teraz] “There is no clarity as to what constitutes an 'end-of-life' car, and therefore this is one of the biggest loopholes used by unscrupulous actors to circumvent EU rules,” he concluded at the time.

When we asked him now whether anything had changed regarding the EU regulation, he denied it. “The proposal is still under discussion between the European Parliament and the European Commission” – he said. He also pointed out that the European elections were underway: “That's why many things are going slower than usual.”

The described EU plans were discussed on November 21st Radio Zet asked Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funds and Regional Policy of Poland. The host of the program quoted a question from a listener who repeated reports about the ban on repairing cars over 15 years old. “I have not heard of anyone planning such a ban. I have never heard of introducing such a ban anywhere, neither at government talks, nor at the Council of Ministers, nor in any conversation with any minister,” the minister firmly denied.

Let us recall that a year ago, the EC spokesman stated in his reply that “several regulations are aimed at facilitating car repairs.” Indeed, the project justification states that “measures aimed at supporting the recovery and sale of used spare parts will translate into lower purchase prices and lower repair and maintenance costs for consumers.” Additionally, as the first specific objective of this regulation, the European Commission listed “facilitating and increasing the removal, reuse, regeneration and recycling of materials, parts and components contained in vehicles”, and as an indicator of the implementation of these objectives it indicated “an increase in the number of parts and components reused and subjected to recycling” and “lower repair costs for vehicle owners”.

To sum up: contrary to many claims, the changes proposed by the European Union will not prohibit the repair of cars, including those over 15 years old and older. The discussed provision of the draft EU regulation applies only to cars in which the replacement of one of these parts results in the loss of the “original vehicle identification”, which, according to the EC spokesman, does not apply to standard cars.

Brussels only wants to prevent fraud by putting cars unfit for use back on the market. Additionally, the project, which is still at an early stage, includes provisions intended to increase the number of parts reused during repairs, and thus reduce the costs of the repairs themselves.