Since 27 September 2026, an "eco-friendly" hang tag without a recognised ecolabel or equivalent proof is illegal across the EU. So is "climate neutral" based on offsets. The law is Directive (EU) 2024/825, the Empowering Consumers Directive. It was adopted on 28 February 2024 and, unlike the paused Green Claims Directive, it has not moved.
Key takeaways
Information before purchase: where relevant, consumers must be told about durability, repairability and software updates before they buy.
Generic claims banned: "green", "eco-friendly" and the like are banned unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance.
Offsetting is not neutrality: a "climate neutral" product claim based on offsets is banned. That holds even when offsets are only part of it. The claim has to rest on the product's own performance.
The EU timetable: adopted 28 February 2024, national laws due 27 March 2026, applies since 27 September 2026.
What is Directive (EU) 2024/825?
The Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive, often shortened to EmpCo, was adopted on 28 February 2024. It amends two laws every EU seller already lives under: the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive. It adds environmental and durability claims to what counts as misleading. It also adds durability and repair information to what a consumer must be told before buying.
It binds every business selling to consumers in the EU, wherever the business sits. It is a directive, not a regulation. Each member state had to write it into national law by 27 March 2026. The national laws now apply, though not all were ready on time. It is one of the EU product rules in these guides.
Where the EU Empowering Consumers Directive stands
It already applies. In May 2026 the Commission took legal action against 20 member states for not reporting complete national laws. The Commission has set the designs for the harmonised warranty notice and label. The Green Claims Directive would have added the proof rules. It has been paused since June 2025; this directive is not.
Empowering Consumers news: 2027 and beyond
Nothing new at EU level. The directive has no separate phase in 2027. Its rules already apply and do not change. What comes next is national rules, Commission work and related EU laws. The timeline below has the dates set in law.
- Sweden: an official inquiry proposes national rules from 1 January 2027. The law has not been passed yet.
- Digital Fairness Act: the Commission plans to propose it in late 2026. It targets dark patterns, addictive design, influencer marketing and pricing. It is not known to change the green-claim rules.
- Commission guidance: the Commission will update its 2021 guidance on unfair practices and consumer rights at a later date. No date is set.
- Green Claims Directive: still a pending proposal, waiting for the Council's position. No vote or negotiation date is set.
- Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein: a decision to bring the directive into the EEA is still in draft. No date is set.
- ESPR textiles: the clothing rules under ESPR, including durability information, are planned for Q4 2027. The date may move.
Spain, Portugal, Malta and Slovenia had notified no national measures as of 30 October 2026. Their start dates are not known yet.
No EU rule lets old stock keep a non-compliant claim into 2027. The Commission's Q&A says the rules apply to products and packaging already made or shipped. It suggests stickers or information at the point of sale to correct them.
Empowering Consumers Directive transposition by country
This is where each member state stood on 30 October 2026, according to the official records.
No measures notified
Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Malta and Slovenia, according to EUR-Lex.
Later national start
Poland: from 27 September 2027, under an act published 19 October 2026.
EUR-Lex lists measures member states have notified, not whether they are complete. Rules against misleading claims apply everywhere; check the national rules where you sell.
Brands selling in France also work under the AGEC law's own product information rules.
Three things it targets: greenwashing, early failure, unreliable labels
The directive goes after three things a consumer cannot check at the shelf. A green claim that is not true, a product built to fail early, and a sustainability label nobody verified.
Greenwashing
Claims that make a product sound more sustainable than the evidence supports.
Early failure
Products designed to fail early, so the consumer buys again and the old one becomes waste.
Unreliable labels
Labels with no certification scheme or public authority behind them.
It does this by amending two directives. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive sets how products may be marketed; the Consumer Rights Directive sets what a consumer must be told before buying.
It applies to every business-to-consumer practice in the EU, non-EU sellers included.
Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition: what it means for brands
Two sets of amendments carry the rules. The first widens what counts as a misleading practice; the second widens what the consumer must be told. Both already apply.
Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
- Generic green claims need recognised excellent environmental performance
- Climate neutral claims based on offsets are banned
- Labels need a certification scheme or public authority
- Claims about the future need a plan and independent checks
Consumer Rights Directive
- Durability and repairability, before they buy
- The minimum software-update period, for digital goods
- The harmonised notice on the legal guarantee
- The durability label, where the producer offers a guarantee
What changes in the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
Environmental, social and circularity characteristics now count as key product features, so a misleading statement about any of them is an unfair practice. A list of named prohibitions follows below.
Terms to know · Greenwashing
Making misleading or unproven environmental claims about a product or company. For example, calling it "eco-friendly" or "green" without recognised excellent environmental performance.
A claim about the future, such as "carbon neutral by 2030", needs a public commitment anyone can check. It must include:
- a realistic plan to get there
- measurable targets with dates
- the resources to meet them
- regular checks by an independent third party, with the findings shared with consumers
A comparison with competitors must disclose the method, name the products and suppliers compared, and say how the information is kept current.
A claim such as "made with 40% recycled polyester" must be accurate and supported. If an authority asks and the evidence is missing or insufficient, the claim can be treated as inaccurate.
"Eco-friendly", "green" or "climate friendly" are banned unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance. That means one of:
- the EU Ecolabel
- an officially recognised EN ISO 14024 ecolabel
- top performance under other EU law
"Sustainable" is harder: it also covers social characteristics, so environmental performance alone does not support it.
Allowed only if based on a certification scheme or set up by a public authority.
What changes in the Consumer Rights Directive
Before purchase, where it applies, the consumer must be told:
- repairability and durability
- after-sales service
- a repairability score, where one exists
- the minimum software-update period, for digital goods
- greener delivery options
- the harmonised warranty notice and, where the producer offers one, the durability label
A warranty about lifespan covers the whole product, not one part. A harmonised notice reminds the consumer of the EU legal guarantee of at least two years. In Spain, Portugal and Sweden it is three years for new goods. A producer's commercial guarantee that is longer than two years and costs nothing carries a harmonised label with its duration. Both designs are set by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960.
The standard reminder of the EU legal guarantee of at least two years. It looks the same in every member state.
Shows the duration of a producer's commercial guarantee that costs nothing, covers the whole product and exceeds two years.
What Directive (EU) 2024/825 bans
- "Eco-friendly" without recognised excellent performance
- "Carbon neutral" via offsets
- Labels without a recognised scheme
- Hiding software update impacts
- Products designed to fail early
- Specific, supported claims
- Genuine performance improvements
- Labels from recognised schemes
- Transparent update policies
- Documented durability data
The full list of banned practices:
- Using sustainability labels not based on certification schemes or established by public authorities
- Making generic environmental claims like 'green', 'eco-friendly', or 'nature positive' unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance
- Suggesting environmental benefits apply to an entire product when only specific components qualify
- Claiming a product is climate neutral, or has a reduced or positive climate impact, based on offsetting
- Promoting mandatory legal requirements (such as the legal guarantee) as unique product features
- Withholding information about software updates that cause device incompatibility or reduced functionality
- Presenting optional feature updates as necessary functionality updates
- Promoting products with intentional lifespan limitations
- Making false durability or repairability claims
- Encouraging premature replacement of consumable parts that do not need replacing
Penalties under Directive (EU) 2024/825
Penalties are set by national law, so amounts and start dates differ by country. EU law sets one floor.
Fines can reach at least
Of annual turnover in the member states concerned, or at least 2 million euro where turnover is unknown. Applies to coordinated cross-border actions, not every breach. National law can go higher.
In some member states competitors and consumer groups can also take a trader to court over a misleading claim.
EU 2024/825 timeline
Directive adopted
Parliament and Council adopt Directive (EU) 2024/825.
Published
The directive appears in the Official Journal of the EU.
Entry into force
Member states start writing it into national law.
Warranty designs adopted
The Commission sets the harmonised warranty notice and label.
National laws due
Deadline for member states to adopt their national laws.
Legal action against 20 states
The Commission acts over incomplete national laws.
Rules apply
Member states apply the new rules.
Poland's rules apply
A national date, not an EU-wide delay.
Commission report
A report to Parliament and Council on how the directive works. Not a new deadline for brands.
What the directive means for your team now
The directive asks two things of every claim on your product. It must be allowed in that form, and you must be able to show the evidence. National authorities can ask to see it now.
What that means for the data your team keeps:
- The evidence behind each environmental claim: the transaction certificate, test report, audit or ecolabel. Each names its issuer and standard and is linked to its product.
- Durability and repair information per model: repair scores, spare-part availability, expected lifespan and the software-update period, ready to show before purchase.
- Warranty terms as data: the legal guarantee notice and any commercial guarantee, in the harmonised format, per product.
- Nothing published that cannot be supported: a claim you cannot back when an authority asks can be treated as inaccurate.
Brands running a compliance or sustainability programme in Tappr keep this evidence on the product record. Nobody assembles it from inboxes when the authority writes.
Empowering Consumers Directive questions, answered
What is the Empowering Consumers Directive?
How does this relate to the Green Claims Directive?
Can I still say my product is 'sustainable' or 'eco-friendly'?
What counts as a generic environmental claim?
When do I need to comply?
Official sources
Built from these official sources:
- New EU rules to empower consumers for the green transition: EU Commission
- Sustainable consumption: empowering the consumer: EU Commission
- Official Text: Directive (EU) 2024/825
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960: EUR-Lex
- National transposition measures for Directive (EU) 2024/825: EUR-Lex
- Infringement decisions, May 2026: EU Commission
- Questions and answers on Directive (EU) 2024/825, September 2026: EU Commission
- Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1353, act of 4 September 2026 amending the unfair market practices and consumer rights acts: Dziennik Ustaw
- SOU 2025:124, Åtgärder för en mer hållbar konsumtion (Swedish inquiry proposing national rules): Riksdagen
- Commission work programme 2026, COM(2025) 870, annexes (Digital Fairness Act, pending proposals): EU Commission
- Review of EU consumer law and the Digital Fairness Act: EU Commission
- Green Claims Directive, procedure 2023/0085(COD): European Parliament Legislative Observatory
- EEA-Lex factsheet for Directive (EU) 2024/825: EFTA