Green Claims Directive

  • The Green Claims Directive is a proposed EU law aimed at preventing greenwashing by requiring companies to scientifically substantiate and verify environmental claims made to consumers.

    What Are “Green Claims”?
    These are voluntary statements made by companies about the environmental impact or performance of their products, services, or operations. Examples include:

    • “Climate neutral”

    • “Made from 30% recycled plastic”

    • “Eco-friendly” or “green”

  • Prevent greenwashing and restore consumer trust
    Ensure environmental claims made to consumers are reliable, not vague or misleading, so consumers can make informed purchasing choices.

    Make claims verifiable, comparable and science‑based
    Require claims to be substantiated using robust, science‑based methods (including life‑cycle thinking) and to be verifiable so different products and offers can be compared on an equal basis.

    Introduce independent verification and governance of labels
    Mandate independent, accredited verification of voluntary environmental claims and set governance criteria for ecolabelling schemes to ensure labels are credible and consistent across the EU.

    Reduce proliferation of low‑quality private labels
    Discourage or regulate private labelling schemes that create confusion, by promoting fewer, higher‑quality schemes that meet transparent EU criteria.

    Protect fair competition and reward genuine sustainability efforts
    Give companies that genuinely reduce environmental impacts a competitive advantage while preventing greenwashing from distorting markets.

    Complement existing consumer and product rules
    Act as a lex specialist to the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive and other sectoral rules, filling gaps for voluntary environmental claims not already covered by other EU regulation.

  • What it covers
    - Voluntary environmental claims made to consumers in a business‑to‑consumer (B2C) context about products, services, processes, or organisations.
    - Claims conveyed through any channel including packaging, labels, advertising, websites, online marketplaces, and trader-to-consumer communications.
    - Explicit statements such as “climate neutral,” “made from 30% recycled material,” “eco‑friendly,” and other positive environmental assertions.

    Geographic and territorial reach
    - Applies to any company placing products or services on the EU market or targeting EU consumers, including non‑EU sellers who direct offers to EU consumers.
    - Applies across all EU Member States once transposed/implemented according to the Directive’s timeline.

    Special rules, exemptions, and simplifications
    - Provisions for SMEs: the Directive foresees discussions on lighter requirements, simplifications or exemptions for micro‑enterprises and potentially other small businesses to avoid disproportionate administrative burdens.
    - Sectoral alignment: where sectoral legislation provides equivalent protection, that specific claim or label may be carved out to avoid duplication.

    Enforcement and actors affected
    - Affects manufacturers, importers, distributors, online marketplace operators and any trader who makes green claims to consumers in the EU.
    - Enforcement is expected to be carried out by national market surveillance and consumer protection authorities using existing consumer protection instruments and new powers provided by the Directive.

    Practical implications
    - Businesses must audit existing claims, hold substantiating evidence (LCAs, methodologies), and prepare for independent verification or certification.
    - Ecolabel operators will face governance and transparency criteria to be recognised or permitted for use.
    - Consumers will receive more comparable, verifiable information; companies making unsubstantiated claims will face enforcement action.

    • 22 March 2023 — European Commission published the Green Claims Directive proposal.

    • 20 June 2025 — Commission publicly announced its intention to withdraw the proposal (statement triggered political backlash).

    • 23 June 2025 — Trilogue meeting that would have finalised negotiations was cancelled.

    • 1 July 2025 — Commission clarified the proposal had not been formally withdrawn and that further progress depends on removing microenterprises from the scope.

    • No final adoption date — the Directive has not been adopted; therefore there is no formal transposition or implementation deadline at present.

    • If adopted — typical EU practice would give Member States a transposition window of roughly 18–24 months, which would imply compliance for businesses likely in 2027–2028, depending on the final text and any phased transition periods or exemptions.