Eco labels on products that are only used for advertising will soon be a thing of the past within the EU. Representatives of the EU Parliament and the EU member states have agreed on this.
Advertising that misleadingly describes products as environmentally friendly should be banned in the European Union. In addition, consumers should be better informed about the guarantee of products.
Negotiators from the EU Parliament and the EU member states have agreed on new product specifications. They are intended to make so-called greenwashing more difficult, with which companies give themselves a green image even though their products do not meet recognized sustainability requirements.
Two years to implement
The European Parliament and the Council still have to give final approval to the decision. The vote in Parliament is scheduled for November. The member states then have two years to implement the new EU directive.
“The agreement is good news for everyone who wants to shop sustainably,” said Green MEP Anna Cavazzini, chairwoman of the responsible consumer protection committee. This makes “misleading advertising with supposedly environmentally friendly products” impossible. This will make it easier for consumers in the EU to make their consumption more sustainable in the future.
Ecolabel put to the test
The negotiators of the Parliament and the Council agreed that statements such as “environmentally friendly”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” or “eco” may only be used if these statements can be proven to be true. Environmental statements that are made solely on the basis of emissions compensation systems will then be banned.
There are currently more than 200 different environmental labels across Europe, each based on different methods. The new guideline should only allow sustainability seals that are based on official certification systems or have been introduced by the state.
Two year warranty, guaranteed
Consumers in the EU should also be better informed about their warranty claims. 60 percent of European consumers don’t even know that all products in the EU have a two-year guarantee, “that will change from today,” said MEP Biljana Borzan. The EU Commission wants to design a new label for manufacturers who offer a free warranty extension.