EC wants to fight greenwashing
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The European Union wants a small revolution in consumer law – companies will have to reliably inform their potential customers about the durability and repair possibilities of their goods. How can this be achieved? The Commission wants, inter alia, to prohibit the use of pseudo-ecological marketing practices – i.e. greenwashing.
"We are giving consumers new, effective tools to enable them to make informed choices. We expect the new rules to translate into more sustainable products and the economy as a whole," Věra Jourová, Vice-President for Values and Transparency, said.
The ban on greenwashing is to be introduced not only to better care for consumer rights. According to the European Commission, without this, it will not be possible to achieve the objectives of the European Green Deal.
"We are seeing an increase in practices such as pseudo-green marketing and premature obsolescence. Consumers must have the right to information to be able to make sustainable choices. They must also be protected from unfair commercial practices that make it difficult to follow environmental considerations," Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, stressed.
