Governance & Policy
Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive
Definition
The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, Directive (EU) 2024/825, amends EU consumer-protection law to combat greenwashing. It bans generic environmental claims without proof, prohibits claims that a product is climate neutral based on offsetting, restricts sustainability labels to approved schemes, and requires better information on product durability and repairability.
References
Legal text and banned practices
Policy context
Overview
What it means
From its September 2026 application date, vague terms such as "eco-friendly" and offset-based "carbon neutral" product claims become unlawful across the EU.
How it is used
Marketing and legal teams audit claim inventories against the banned-practices list; enforcement authorities prepare national transposition measures.
Why it matters
It converts anti-greenwashing principles into a blacklist of prohibited commercial practices, directly reshaping sustainability marketing in the EU.