As of 27 September 2026, the EU’s Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) will introduce binding requirements for how companies communicate environmental claims across the Union, one of the most significant tightenings of consumer protection and competition law in this area to date.

EmpCo requires companies to formulate environmental claims in a clear, precise, and substantiated manner. Generic claims, such as “environmentally friendly” or “climate neutral” without specific evidence, are explicitly prohibited unless properly explained or based on recognised excellent environmental performance. Similar requirements apply to claims about future environmental performance (e.g. “net zero by 2030”), which will only be permitted where backed by a clear, verifiable implementation plan.

Key areas companies should prepare for include:

• Generic vs. specific claims: terms like “organic,” “recyclable,” or “carbon footprint” must be sufficiently explained on the same medium to avoid being misleading
• Sustainability labels: these may only be used where based on a compliant, transparent, and independently monitored certification scheme
• Future environmental performance claims: these require a publicly accessible, measurable, and regularly reviewed implementation plan
• Offsetting: claims of reduced or neutral environmental impact based on greenhouse gas offsetting will be prohibited

EmpCo is a core component of the European Green Deal and works alongside other regulatory initiatives such as the Digital Product Passport (under the ESPR) and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which require increasingly detailed, verifiable product information.

Standardised data structures and identifiers, such as those provided by GS1, can help companies manage this information consistently across the value chain and support the transparency and verifiability that EmpCo requires.

If you need further information, contact your local MO: https://gs1.eu/gs1-in-europe-member-organisations/