EU bans greenwashing and boosts product guarantees

The EU Parliament has struck a provisional agreement on updated rules aimed at eliminating misleading advertisements and supplying consumers with improved information on product longevity.

This understanding seeks to refresh the EU's existing regulations by adding a list of prohibited commercial tactics, with a particular focus on greenwashing and the premature obsolescence of items. By doing so, the EU hopes to safeguard consumers from deception and aid in making more informed purchasing decisions.

Key highlights:

• Certain vague environmental claims, like "eco-friendly" or "climate neutral", will now require evidence backing their authenticity.
• Advertisements highlighting a product feature that diminishes its lifespan will be banned if they omit essential information on that feature.
• Assertions based on emissions compensation suggesting a product is environmentally beneficial will no longer be permitted.
• Only sustainability labels approved by recognized certification schemes or public authorities will be deemed valid.
• Claims of product longevity must be proven.
• Unnecessary suggestions for consumers to replace items or update software will be banned.
• Misrepresenting non-repairable goods as fixable is prohibited.

Furthermore, the EU is emphasizing clearer guarantee information. While all goods in the EU come with a minimum two-year guarantee, many consumers remain unaware of this. To address this, a new harmonized label will be introduced for manufacturers who wish to spotlight their high-quality goods by voluntarily extending the guarantee period.

The next stages for these rules are their approval by both the Parliament and the Council. The directive's enforcement is expected to give member nations two years to assimilate these regulations into their respective legal frameworks.

Europarl.europa.eu