European Union to implement stricter anti-greenwashing rules

Starting September 27, the European Union will implement stricter rules to combat greenwashing under Directive (EU) 2024/825, also known as the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo) directive. These regulations aim to provide consumers with more reliable information regarding the environmental characteristics of products and services by limiting misleading claims.

Under the new rules, general environmental claims such as ‘green’, ‘eco’, ‘environmentally friendly’, or ‘sustainable’ will be subject to stricter oversight. Companies must be able to provide adequate evidence for such claims. Furthermore, sustainability labels must be based on appropriate certification systems or established by public authorities. The directive also restricts certain claims regarding future environmental performance and the use of environmental messages based on emission offsetting.

While Austria and Germany have already adapted their national regulations, Slovenia has not yet transposed the directive. Austria has integrated significant parts of the EmpCo directive into its new Law against Unfair Competition (UWG), requiring environmental claims in advertising to be transparent and verifiable.