Hungary implements new EU-aligned greenwashing regulations

New consumer protection regulations have entered into force in Hungary, following the European Union's EmpCo directive. As of September 27, companies are required to provide verifiable evidence for any sustainability claims to prevent unfair commercial practices.

The regulation expands the blacklist of prohibited practices by 12 items and sets stricter communication standards. General terms such as ‘green’, ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘sustainable’, or ‘climate neutral’ are considered high-risk if they are not supported by relevant, verifiable, and measurable evidence.

These rules apply to all consumer-facing communications, including advertisements, websites, social media, packaging, and verbal statements from sales staff. For claims regarding future environmental performance, companies must possess a public, time-bound implementation plan and potentially undergo independent expert audits. The Hungarian Competition Authority (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal) has emphasized that the assessment of these claims will be based on how a consumer interprets them.