Green Claims Directive stopped - What applies now

Why was the Green Claims Directive stopped?

The Green Claims Directive was intended to be a key instrument in the fight against greenwashing. In future, companies would have had to prove that their environmental advertising ("climate neutral", "environmentally friendly", etc.) is scientifically sound - with mandatory prior testing by independent third parties. But this will not happen for the time being:

In spring 2025, the European Commission surprisingly announced that it was withdrawing its proposal. This was due to massive political resistance - particularly from the European People's Party (EPP), which threatened to withhold approval from the Commission. Without this majority, the project was no longer politically feasible(source).

Points of criticism and reasons for failure

• Prior certification requirement: The requirement for cost-intensive prior testing was criticized by many as bureaucratic and an obstacle to innovation.
• Burden on SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises in particular feared competitive disadvantages.
• Existing regulations: Many saw the directive as superfluous, as new rules against greenwashing had already been created with the EmpCo Directive(source).

What does this mean for companies?

Even though the Green Claims Directive has been stopped: The EmpCo Directive ("Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition") still applies - and is already bringing about significant changes:

• Ban on unsubstantiated environmental claims
• Ban on "climate neutral" advertising if it is based solely on offsetting
• Ban on sustainability seals without a recognized certification system
• Extension of the blacklist in the UWG(source)

The EmpCo has been in force since March 2024 and must be transposed into national law by March 2026. For companies, this means that environmental claims must already be substantiated and comprehensible - regardless of the failure of the Green Claims Directive.

What happens next?

A complete renunciation of regulation is not in sight. It is possible:

• A new directive proposal from the Commission that better addresses points of criticism such as bureaucracy and the burden on SMEs.
• A new political start after the 2024 European elections with a changed majority.
• Initiatives by individual member states to put the issue back on the agenda(source)

Conclusion: Act now, don't wait and see

Even without the Green Claims Directive, the pressure on companies to make their climate communication clean, transparent and verifiable is increasing. Violations of the EmpCo Directive can be warned and sanctioned in future.

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