EU Commission abandons plans for the Green Claims Directive

On November 4, 2026, the European Commission announced that it will withdraw its proposal for a Green Claims Directive. The announcement occurred in the publication of the Commission's work program for 2027. According to the Commission, the proposal is being withdrawn given that there is no expectation that the required support in the European Council can be secured within a reasonable timeframe.

The proposal for the Green Claims Directive was considered by some to be a cornerstone of the Commission's fight against greenwashing. This development does not affect Directive (EU) 2024/825 on empowering consumers for the green transition (the "Empowering Consumers Directive"). Member States had to transpose it by 27 March 2026 and apply it from 27 September 2026. Among other things, the Empowering Consumers Directive prohibits generic environmental claims where the trader cannot demonstrate recognized excellent environmental performance. It also prohibits sustainability labels that are neither based on a certification scheme with third-party verification nor established by public authorities. The Empowering Consumers Directive also considers that certain commitments about claims about future environmental performance should meet certain safeguards, including a detailed and realistic implementation plan that is regularly verified by an independent third-party expert.

For a broader discussion of the EU's sustainability framework, see our recent JONES DAY TALKS® podcast on decoding the EU's ESG regulations.