The European Parliament has adopted new rules that significantly strengthen the right of consumers to have their devices repaired in the EU. The new rules not only give consumers the opportunity to ask manufacturers for repairs, but also stop attempts to block repairs by third-party organizations, PC Gamer reports.

“Consumers’ right to repair products will now become a reality,” says René Repasi, MEP. “It will be easier and cheaper to repair instead of purchase new, expensive items.”

The new legislation extends manufacturers’ warranties by 12 months. Under the new rules, companies will have to inform consumers about their rights, offer extended legal guarantees, and provide cost-effective repair services.

In addition, manufacturers will have to provide components and tools at a reasonable price and will no longer be able to block repairs with hardware or software.

“In particular, [manufacturers] cannot impede the use of second-hand or 3D-printed spare parts by independent repairers, nor can they refuse to repair a product solely for economic reasons or because it was previously repaired by someone else,” the press release to the law says.

One of the manufacturers that may not agree with the new legislation is Apple, which has applied the so-called part pairing to prevent the replacement of certain components by third-party manufacturers. This means that even if a user replaces a part in an iPhone with a similar one, it will not be recognized by the phone unless it is officially authorized by Apple.

Apple will now need to justify this and its other decisions to make it impossible to repair its devices, possibly even in regular courts.