EU Commission makes another push to prevent greenwashing
The EU Commission has become more concrete and – building on its package of measures introduced in March 2022 – is drafting a "Directive on Green Claims". A first draft is already in circulation.
The main aim of the directive is to strengthen consumer protection and finally create clarity for companies by creating uniform regulations.
It is important to the EU Commission that the member states must check more closely whether environment-related claims are actually substantiated. Clear criteria should apply to such claims, which can be measured against recognized international standards and verified by independent third parties. The Commission also emphasizes that such claims must be based on the entire life cycle of a product. The directive is also planned to include stricter requirements for the use of environmental labels since there is currently a jumble of labels that no one can properly classify anymore. Accordingly, labels from individual companies should only be possible if they have a significant additional benefit. Violations of the regulation are to be sanctioned ("deterrent effect").
Initial press articles mention that the draft is to be officially presented in March 2023 together with other initiatives on this important topic.
