EU Parliament backs new labelling rules for sustainable products including offsetting schemes

MEPs have backed draft legislation to improve product labelling and durability and to put a stop to misleading claims.
With 544 votes to 18 and 17 abstentions, plenary approved the proposal for a new directive on empowering consumers for the green transition.
Its main aim is to help consumers make environmentally friendly choices and encourage companies to offer them more durable and sustainable products.
Parliament’s approved negotiating mandate foresees banning the use of general environmental claims like “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” or “eco” if these do not come with detailed evidence.
It also aims to ban environmental claims that are based solely on carbon offsetting schemes. Other misleading practices such as making claims about the whole product if the claim is true only for one part of it, or saying that a product will last a certain amount of time or can be used at a certain level of intensity if that is not true, will also be forbidden.
To simplify product information, MEPs envision allowing only sustainability labels based on official certification schemes or established by public authorities to be used.
To make products last longer, Parliament wants to ban the introduction of design features that limit a product’s life or lead to goods malfunctioning prematurely. Additionally, producers should not be allowed to limit a product’s functionality when it is used with consumables, spare parts or accessories (for example chargers or ink cartridges) made by other companies.
Biljana Borzan (S&D, HR) said: “The industry will no longer profit from making consumer goods that break just as the guarantee period is over.
“Consumers will have to be provided with information about the options and cost of repairs in a clear manner. Product labels will inform citizens which goods are guaranteed to last longer and producers whose goods are more durable will profit. The jungle of false environmental claims will end as only certified and substantiated ecological claims will be permitted.”