Our Work

Effective policymaking depends on accurate market knowledge. Free ICT Europe brings the experience of independent maintenance, repair, refurbishment, reuse and software-market businesses into European policy discussions.

We gather evidence from our members, identify barriers in the ICT aftermarket and translate practical market experience into constructive policy recommendations. We contribute through consultations, working groups, position papers, research, meetings with policymakers and cooperation with other organisations.

EU policy and legislation

We monitor and contribute to European initiatives that affect the ICT aftermarket, including:

  • Right to Repair and its implementation across EU Member States
  • Ecodesign requirements for servers, data storage products, electronic displays and other ICT product groups
  • The Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the development of Digital Product Passports
  • The Cyber Resilience Act and access to security updates throughout extended product lifecycles
  • EU circular economy and resource-efficiency policy, including the developing Circular Economy Act
  • Policies affecting software licensing, interoperability, data access and digital sovereignty
  • Public procurement rules that can enable refurbished equipment and independent maintenance

Standards and technical expertise

We participate in European standardisation discussions relevant to repairability, durability, upgradability, reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing. As a member of the European Multi-Stakeholder Platform on ICT Standardisation, we contribute aftermarket expertise to discussions concerning European ICT standards and priorities.

Research and evidence

We contribute practical market knowledge to European research and policy studies, including work involving the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre. Our research, reports and position papers demonstrate the economic, environmental and strategic importance of an open and competitive ICT aftermarket.

Engagement with policymakers

We engage with:

  • Members of the European Parliament
  • European Commission officials and Directorates-General
  • Member State representatives
  • Researchers and standardisation bodies
  • Industry associations and civil-society organisations

These relationships ensure that independent aftermarket experience is represented when European ICT policy is developed.

Member and market engagement

We collect feedback from our members and the wider ICT aftermarket to identify emerging barriers, unintended policy consequences and opportunities for market growth. Through our committees and working groups, members help shape FIE’s positions and contribute specialist knowledge from across the hardware, software, maintenance and reuse sectors.

Collaboration and communication

We work with European and international organisations on shared objectives, publish policy analysis and industry guidance, and represent the ICT aftermarket at conferences, workshops and stakeholder events.

Our Track Record & Milestones

Free ICT Europe works to ensure that the independent ICT aftermarket has a voice in European policymaking. Through research, technical expertise and direct engagement with European institutions, we have helped bring the realities of independent maintenance, repair, refurbishment and reuse into the policy debate.

Here are some of the milestones that demonstrate our contribution.

Firmware: EU Ecodesign for servers and storage FIE contributed technical input to the development of EU Ecodesign requirements for servers and data storage products, securing firmware availability, technical information and data deletion. These requirements help establish conditions for maintaining, managing and reusing enterprise ICT equipment throughout its lifecycle. Read about the EU Ecodesign impact

Contributing to circular economy and sustainable procurement discussions FIE has contributed industry expertise to European discussions on circular economy policy and green public procurement. Its work has promoted greater consideration of refurbished equipment, independent maintenance, reuse and opportunities for smaller providers to participate in public tenders.

Putting the IT aftermarket into Europe’s digital sovereignty debate In 2026, FIE published Closing the Sovereignty Gap: The IT Aftermarket as a Pillar of Europe’s Digital Infrastructure. The paper highlights how independent maintenance, repair, software support and extended equipment lifecycles can help reduce dependency, strengthen competition and support Europe’s digital resilience. Read the report on digital sovereignty and the IT aftermarket

Representing the aftermarket in European Expert Groups FIE secured a three-year role on the European Commission’s ICT standardisation Multi-Stakeholder Platform, providing a formal channel to raise awareness of the independent ICT aftermarket and contribute its perspective to discussions on European ICT standardisation priorities. We have also joined the ESPR Forum.

Providing practical guidance on Right to Repair FIE provided a clear overview of the Right to Repair as listed in the Knowledge Hub, translating European policy developments into practical insights for independent repairers, refurbishers, maintainers and other secondary-market businesses. The resource helps industry stakeholders understand the opportunities and limitations of the evolving regulatory framework. Explore the Right to Repair Knowledge Hub

Insights into contributions involving the ICT policy landscape Every half year Free ICT publishes a report that provides an overview of activities and an outlook for the next 6 months. These reports examine how developments in digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, product sustainability and repair legislation affect the independent ICT aftermarket. Read the latetst 2026 interim report

Bringing economic evidence to European policymakers In 2019, FIE commissioned research with Deloitte Economic Advisory to examine the economic and environmental contribution of the European ICT aftermarket. The report addressed a significant information gap in a market where reliable economic data was limited, providing evidence to support policy discussions. Read about the FIE / Deloitte ICT Aftermarket Report

Our work continues. These milestones reflect our commitment to ensuring that independent ICT aftermarket businesses are represented in European policymaking, and that the expertise of our industry contributes to a more competitive, resilient and circular ICT economy.