On 17 January, the EU Parliament approved the adoption of a new anti-greenwashing law banning a series of commercial practices, including the use of unproven generic product claims such as “environmentally friendly,” or “climate neutral,” or marketing a product as having a reduced environmental impact based on the use of emissions offsetting schemes.
The new law contains rules on product durability, requirement of guarantee information on products , and mandating the creation of a harmonized label to give more prominence to goods with an extended guarantee period. The law also bans unfounded durability claims, prompts to replace consumables earlier than strictly necessary, or presenting goods as repairable when they are not.
The new legislation must now be approved by the EU Council, which reached a provisional agreement in September with Parliament on the proposals, before passing into law. Once published in the EU’s Official Journal, member states will have 2 years to integrate the rules into national law.
