Carlos Fresneda

Updated Wednesday, January 31, 2024-03:27

  • Europe (Te) Matters / 4 The European agreement on Artificial Intelligence

Environmentally friendly, climate neutral, sustainable, responsible, bio, eco... 53% of environmental claims used on all types of products give deliberately vague, misleading or unfounded information to consumers. Croatian MEP

Biljana Borzan

counted more than 1,200 allegations of this type in the EU, hence her commitment to

"put an end to the jungle of green labels"

and put an end to 'greenwashing' or 'ecological whitewashing'. .

"We will prohibit all those claims that do not have a recognized impact on the environment, with

a law that will change the daily life of all Europeans

," anticipated the combative doctor and vice president of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, which has become the motto 'A new economy that works for everyone' on its workhorse in Brussels.

"We are going to leave behind the throwaway culture

," added Borzan, when explaining the long reach of the Consumer Empowerment for the Ecological Transition directive. The legislative resolution was finally adopted almost unanimously in mid-January in the European Parliament (593 votes in favor, 21 against and 14 abstentions), also paving the way in the

fight against planned obsolescence

in the 27.

"Consumers will be able to choose more durable, repairable and sustainable products thanks to reliable labels and advertising," added the Croatian MEP. "Companies will no longer be able to fool people by saying that plastic bottles are good because the company planted trees somewhere, or that something is sustainable without explaining how."

The directive, which received a final push during the Spanish Presidency in the second half of 2023, must receive final approval from the Council. Member States will have

24 months to incorporate it into their

national legal system. The text will work in conjunction with the Directive on ecological claims, currently in committee phase in the European Parliament, which will introduce more specific measures to eradicate supposed 'green labels', unify criteria and require official verification systems.

The EU thus takes a step further within the

New Circular Economy Action Plan

, incorporated into the European Green Deal, after the approval of the European Strategy on sustainable textiles and the Proposed regulation for the eco-design of sustainable products.

"Do you want to know how long a product will last before you buy it?" asks Borzan, when explaining the practical effects of the directive.

"More than 85% of Croatian and European citizens want it

. That is why we are going to introduce a label that will serve to create greater demand for products that have a longer commercial warranty. The majority of citizens say that the devices they buy are "They break down between the second and third year of use, just when the warranty expires. It's probably not a coincidence."

"We want products to last longer

," adds the Croatian MEP. "In this way we will also stop accumulating waste. With this directive we reject the throwaway model. We put industry operations in order and protect citizens from dishonesty in the common market."

Goodbye, then, to 'ecopostureo' for commercial purposes, which uses the 'green that I love you' as a commercial hook, which sows confusion in consumers or which even takes advantage of the willingness to pay more because it considers that a product is "good for environment".

The directive has been

received favorably by consumer groups

in European countries. In Spain, the Union of Consumers of Galicia (Ucgal) has been one of the first to express satisfaction with the EU's decision to put an end to ecological laundering and influence the "durability" of products, although it has warned that the new legislation must "come accompanied by guarantees."

Legal experts have also welcomed the directive. "We are facing a turning point in terms of the regulation of ecological money laundering practices," warn Ismael Aznar Cano and Ignacio Hierro Herrero on the Periscopio Fiscal y Legal portal. The new rules, they maintain, will

force companies to review their

communication and advertising strategies and only disseminate "ecological claims that are true and duly justified."

For former MEP

Florent Marcellesi

, co-spokesperson for Verdes Equo and member of the Sumar executive, this legislation is "a strong signal towards a Europe that protects consumers and is committed to sustainability."

"At Los Verdes we had been demanding for some time that consumers be provided with reliable information to protect them against 'greenwashing' and other unsustainable commercial practices such as false claims about supposed ecological benefits of products," Marcellesi emphasizes. "In fact, it is the first time that a text prohibits the practice of planned obsolescence and

offers a concrete avenue for consumers to appeal."

"We are facing a good initiative against greenwashing in all areas of life and in all sectors," warns

Miguel Angel Soto

, from Greenpeace Spain. "It seems to us that this proposal establishes common criteria against 'greenwashing' and misleading environmental claims. The general rule should be that no green claim can be made unless there are data and procedures to support it."

"The directive still has a way to go and we believe that it should be modified to eliminate the idea of ​​'emissions compensation', which is a future that has nothing to do with the service," says Soto. "Carbon neutrality is such a complex issue for consumers that companies should not be allowed to use it. We also believe that hazardous substances and ecological claims are incompatible: a

toxic product should be prevented from

being sold as green. And that principle should also apply to fossil fuels," he concludes.

Misleading claims

"In Europe, 78% of citizens believe that companies offer misleading green claims," ​​warns MEP

Laura Ballarín

, socialist spokesperson for the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Commission. Ballarín emphasizes how the Spanish Presidency of the Council of Europe (from July 1 to December 31, 2023) served to give a definitive boost to the directive proposed by the Croatian Biljana Borzan with the double objective of "protecting consumers and the environment atmosphere".

"From the European Parliament we have worked to achieve pioneering legislation against greenwashing and ecological laundering that will change the daily lives of citizens," says the PSOE MEP. "Our goal has been to put an end to early obsolescence,

to put an end to deceptive practices such as 'throwaway'

or the encouragement to replace consumables, such as printer ink cartridges, or software updates that are sold as necessary without be."

"We are also going to eradicate 'green' claims on products and by companies that label them as 'sustainable' or 'ecological' when in reality they are not," adds Ballarín. "The directive lays the foundations for the specific green label legislation we are currently working on, in response to consumer demands for

greater verification and control."

"We want to empower our citizens so that they can choose, freely and consciously, to consume more durable, repairable and sustainable products," concludes the socialist MEP, who finally highlights the will to "help companies that, clearly and transparent, contribute to the fight against the climate emergency and to advance a greener and fairer Europe".

"The means to empower consumers in the green transition is verified information," maintains Popular Party MEP

Pablo Arias

. "Today, the 'eco-friendly' label has gone from being genuine information to a sales strategy, with absolutely no regard for the environmental issue. "Greenwashing" is a practice used by certain companies to deceive consumers , with the intention of getting on the sustainable bandwagon as a commercial hook".

"The intention of the Directive is to end these practices," highlights Arias.

"The consumer deserves rigorous and easy-to-identify information

, to be able to make informed decisions. It is crucial to ensure a single European market that reflects our values, protecting consumers and the environment without sacrificing business competitiveness."