European Parliament supports ban on greenwashing

On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the European Parliament (EP) approved a new directive aimed at more sustainable products and the end of greenwashing. The directive stands for improving the labeling and longevity of products. And aims to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices and encourage companies to offer sustainable products with a longer lifespan.

As part of this new legislation, Parliament will seek to ban the use of misleading claims such as "eco-friendly," "natural," "biodegradable," "climate-neutral" or "eco" unless there is detailed evidence. The ban will also apply to environmental claims based solely on carbon offset schemes. Other misleading practices will also be banned, such as claiming something about an entire product when it only applies to part of it.

Fight against premature aging

Parliament also wants to introduce a ban on design features that shorten the life of a product or cause goods to malfunction prematurely. Buyers should be given information about any repair restrictions before they make their purchase. This will allow them to choose goods that last longer and can be repaired. Parliament is also proposing a new warranty label, which would show not only the length of warranty required by law, but also the length of possible extensions offered by manufacturers.

Next steps

The next step is for Parliament and member states to negotiate the final content and wording of the directive. The proposed directive is part of the first circular economy package, as are the eco-design regulation, the construction products regulation and an initiative report on the EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. It paves the way for a new directive on green claims, detailing the conditions for the future use of environmental claims.

The adoption of this legislation means that Parliament is meeting the expectations of citizens expressed in the proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe. These concern sustainable consumption, packaging and production, and sustainable growth and innovation. With this new directive, Parliament hopes to help consumers make sustainable choices and encourage businesses to focus more on sustainability.

Europarl.europa.eu