EU Withdraws Green Claims Directive
The European Commission has dropped its proposal to regulate environmental marketing claims by businesses after the file stalled for more than three years.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Environmental
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The European Commission announced it is withdrawing the Green Claims Directive, which had been introduced in March 2023 to require companies to substantiate environmental claims with independent verification. The directive had been effectively paused in June 2025 after losing support from major political parties.
Why it matters
Studies cited in the directive's development found that more than half of green claims by EU companies were vague or misleading, and 40% were completely unsubstantiated. The withdrawal leaves the regulation of environmental marketing claims in the EU without the harmonized standards the directive would have introduced.
Studies found more than half of green claims by EU companies were vague or misleading and 40% were completely unsubstantiated. The Commission described the file as having been pending with co-legislators for more than three years, and it is unclear what alternative approach will replace it.
The players
European Commission
The executive body of the European Union that proposes EU legislation and, in this case, introduced the Green Claims Directive in 2023 before announcing its withdrawal.
European People's Party
The largest political group in the European Parliament, which requested that the Commission reconsider and ultimately withdraw the directive.
The details
The directive would have required businesses to back green claims with scientific evidence and independent verification, and private environmental labels would have needed to be reliable, transparent and regularly reviewed. Lawmakers had already removed microenterprises from its scope during negotiations, but the Council failed to agree on a negotiating mandate in June 2024 and presidency efforts in 2025 did not advance it.
Timeline
March 2023: The Commission introduced the Green Claims Directive.
June 2024: The Council failed to agree on a negotiating mandate.
2025: Council presidency attempts to advance discussions did not succeed.
June 2025: The directive was paused after two trilogue meetings and a request from the European People's Party.
Big Picture
The withdrawal leaves green marketing claims to be policed under the EU's existing Unfair Commercial Practices Directive rather than the dedicated substantiation regime the Green Claims Directive proposed. That leaves an unresolved gap between general misleading-advertising rules and the specific verification standards the Commission had sought to create.
Companies making environmental claims in the EU will continue to face existing general rules on misleading advertising rather than the specific substantiation requirements the directive would have imposed. Consumers checking eco-labels will not see the independent verification standards that the directive would have made mandatory.
The takeaway
Environmental claims on products are currently policed under general EU misleading-advertising rules, so shoppers should be cautious about vague eco-labels that lack independent verification.
Further reading
For more background on environmental policy coverage, see our Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by ESG Today.
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