Compliance guides · 04/05/2026 · 6 min
EU Directive 2024/825 explained: what changes for your environmental claims
Bans, evidence duties and timeline: a practical guide to the ‘empowering consumers for the green transition’ directive.
An amendment to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive
Directive (EU) 2024/825, published in the Official Journal on 6 March 2024, amends Directives 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU. It blacklists several green-marketing practices: unsubstantiated generic claims, sustainability labels not based on a certification scheme, and carbon-neutrality claims relying on offsetting alone.
Generic claims are now prohibited
Wording such as ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘eco’, ‘green’, ‘natural’ or ‘sustainable’ is generic unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance that can be demonstrated. Evidence must exist when the claim is made, not afterwards.
A tight timeline: 27 September 2026
Member States had to transpose the text by 27 March 2026 and apply it from 27 September 2026. National consumer authorities enforce it; penalties follow the misleading-practices regime, including fines up to 4% of turnover, withdrawal and publication of the decision.
How to prepare in practice
Inventory every claim across your digital touchpoints, qualify each against the text, attach dated evidence, rewrite what does not hold and keep a versioned trail of every change. That is exactly what EmpCo’s living register does.
FAQ
Does the directive apply to SMEs?+
Yes. It targets any trader communicating with consumers in the EU, with no size threshold.
Is a UK or US site selling to EU consumers concerned?+
Yes, as soon as the communication targets consumers located in the European Union.
What happens during an inspection?+
Compliance orders, administrative fines, removal of the communication and publication of the sanction.