Not every piece of regulation is bad news for brands. WFA Policy Manager Fraser Bridges explains why the EU’s latest green claims rules could help the industry and why legislators need to be wary of ‘disempowering’ consumers when it comes to the Green Transition.

In March 2023, the European Commission — the EU’s executive body — published a proposal for a Directive on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims directive). The proposal is part of the Commission’s 2020 New Circular Economy Action Plan under the umbrella of its European Green Deal policy, which aims for the EU to be climate neutral by 2050.

WFA’s Green Claims in Advertising Task Force brings together policy leads within WFA membership to discuss, plan and develop advocacy and outreach on the EU proposal on greenwashing and the upcoming EU proposal on the substantiation of green claims.

On 30 March, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition. Crucially, this text proposes to ban practices related to ‘greenwashing’, as listed under the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive’s (UCPD) exclusion list. On this page you can download WFA’s suggested amendments to the proposal, which it has co-signed with an active coalition of trade associations.

WFA’s Green Claims in Advertising Task Force brings together policy leads within WFA membership to discuss, plan and develop advocacy and outreach on the EU proposal on greenwashing and the upcoming EU proposal on the substantiation of green claims.

Meeting overview, presentations and briefings from WFA’s Policy Action Group (PAG) meeting on 29 September 2021.

Meeting overview, presentations and briefings from WFA’s Policy Action Group (PAG) meeting on 15 June 2021.

Meeting overview, presentations and briefings from WFA’s Policy Action Group (PAG) meeting on 27 April 2021.

Meeting overview, presentations and briefings from WFA’s Policy Action Group (PAG) meeting on 17 November 2020.