EC Proposes Green Claims Directive

The European Commission (EC) published a proposal for a Green Claims Directive on March 22, 2023. The proposal establishes minimum requirements on the substantiation and communication of voluntary environmental claims and environmental labelling in business-to-consumer practices. Among the objectives of the proposed directive are to increase the level of environmental protection and contribute to accelerating the green transition towards a circular, clean, and climate neutral economy in the EU and to protect consumers and companies from greenwashing. Under the proposal, environmental claims and labelling will be subject to an ex-ante verification, by an officially accredited independent body, before the claim is made public or the label is displayed. The proposal also prohibits the establishment by public authorities of new national or regional environmental labelling schemes and introduces a validation procedure for new environmental labelling schemes established by private operators in the EU (to be assessed by Member State authorities) and by public authorities in third countries (to be pre-approved by the European Commission).

Comments on the proposal are due by May 30, 2023. They can be submitted through the EC’s website.