The proposed law was shelved in June 2025 due to a major disagreement between the Commission and EU governments over excessive reporting obligations for businesses.
It leaves the EU with a system that tells companies what they cannot say about their products but with no explanation of what counts as a legitimate environmental claim.
“It’s a pity that we missed the opportunity to not only prevent misleading consumers with mandatory labelling but that we also put an end to the jungle of additional, voluntary, and often quite arbitrary environmental claims,” said Anna Cavazzini, a lawmaker for the Greens group and chair of the internal market committee of the European Parliament.
“It’s a pity that we missed the opportunity to not only prevent misleading consumers with mandatory labelling but that we also put an end to the jungle of additional, voluntary, and often quite arbitrary environmental claims,” said Anna Cavazzini. | Martin Bertrand/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
“We could have leveled the playing field for those companies that are on their way towards sustainable business models,” she added.
Something’s missing
The law coming into force in September also seeks to curb the jungle of green badges available on the market for things like seafood, coffee or paper by allowing only sustainability labels run by public authorities or backed by certification schemes. Companies will have to provide consumers with clearer information about durability, repairability and commercial guarantees.
What the law does not create is a common methodology for proving environmental claims before they are made. Instead, companies will have to rely on a patchwork of national rules and court interpretation.