Plans to withdraw the Green Claims Directive would leave “consumers and businesses adrift in a sea of greenwashing as policymakers argue about the lifeboat”, Margaux Le Gallou, senior programme manager at the Environmental Coalition on Standards (ECOS) has said.
Le Gallou was commenting following the European Commission‘s announcement last Friday that it plans to withdraw the directive, which seeks to protect consumers from greenwashing.
The Commission adopted the proposal for the Green Claims Directive in March 2023, following a study that found that more than half (53.3%) of environmental claims in the EU were ‘vague, misleading or unfounded’, while 40% were unsubstantiated.
“I can say that in the current context, indeed the Commission intends to withdraw the Green Claims proposal,” Commission spokesperson Maciej Berestecki said in a press conference.
‘Serving up confusion’
Commenting on the Commission’s decision, Le Gallou said, “The Green Claims Directive should provide clarity for consumers and companies, but confusion is what the European Commission and some MEPs have served up instead.
“Policymakers must respect the legislative process, work with negotiators to find a solution, and unblock this crucial law. Every day without this directive inflicts more harm on EU citizens, the environment and the single market.”
‘Deeply misguided’
Elsewhere, Lindsay Otis Nilles, an expert on global carbon markets at Carbon Market Watch, described the decision to withdraw the directive as an “irresponsible and deeply misguided move”.
“The Green Claims Directive is vital to ensure that what companies say is accurate, verifiable and trustworthy,” she said, slamming the Commission’s decision to opt for ‘simplification’ of its legislative proposals over the need to protect consumers.
“European consumers deserve better and should not be forced to navigate a marketplace polluted by unverified and misleading advertising and communication.” Read more here.
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