Directive Withdrawal
The European Commission will scrap the Green Claims Directive requiring companies to verify environmental claims like 'carbon-neutral' or 'biodegradable'. This follows objections from right-wing lawmakers about regulatory burden on businesses. The decision came just days before final negotiations.
Key Provisions of Scrapped Rules
- Mandatory evidence for environmental marketing claims
- Independent verification of corporate green claims
- Fines for unsubstantiated environmental advertising
- Coverage of 96% of EU businesses (30M micro-enterprises)
- Ban on generic claims like 'eco-friendly' without proof
Consequences
This withdrawal creates a regulatory gap in combating false environmental advertising, potentially undermining consumer trust. It represents the latest scaling back of the EU's Green Deal framework following recent modifications to other climate policies.