The Right To Repair Campaign (R2RC) has launched a Europe-wide petition to lobby for the renewal of the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation.

R2RC is inviting both the trade and consumers to sign the petition on its website to maintain sector-specific exemptions which, it believes, create more competition in the aftermarket.

It aims to present the petition to the European Commission.

R2RC is also providing templates of letters for businesses and consumers to send to their local MPs and MEPs.

A spokesman said: “The R2RC alliance maintains that the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation has so far guaranteed freedom of choice for consumers and furthered the creation of a level playing field for all operators in the automotive sector.

Simply applying the general rules as currently worded in the Vertical Restraints Block Exemption Regulation to the automotive sector would be no equivalent alternative.”