What is the Green Claims Directive and what happened to it?
The Green Claims Directive was a proposed EU law to require companies to substantiate and verify explicit environmental claims before using them.
In short
The Green Claims Directive was an EU proposal from March 2023 that would have required companies to substantiate explicit environmental claims with evidence and have them checked by independent verifiers before use. In June 2025 the Commission announced its intention to withdraw it, so it is not in force.
What did the proposal involve?
The proposal aimed to stop misleading environmental claims by setting minimum requirements for how claims are substantiated and communicated, and by requiring ex-ante verification. For fashion, this would have affected claims about recycled content, lower emissions or circularity on product pages, hangtags and wholesale materials.
What is the current status?
- March 2024: European Parliament adopted its first-reading position.
- June 2024: Council adopted its position.
- 20 June 2025: the Commission announced its intention to withdraw the proposal.
- 23 June 2025: the final trilogue was cancelled.
The withdrawal followed criticism that the requirements were overly complex and costly. The separate directive on empowering consumers for the green transition, adopted in February 2024, remains and applies from 27 September 2026.
Why does it matter for fashion businesses?
The withdrawal does not mean environmental claims are unregulated. Misleading claims remain prohibited under consumer law, and the green transition rules restrict generic claims and unverified sustainability labels. Brands still need evidence for every claim, and methods such as PEF remain useful for substantiation.
How is AI changing it?
AI can maintain a structured register of claims, link each to evidence and check marketing and product copy before publication. This helps companies stay consistent across webshops, marketplaces and retailer feeds.
Common pitfalls
Assuming the withdrawal relaxes obligations, or continuing to use generic claims, exposes companies to enforcement under the rules that do apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Green Claims Directive in force?
No. The European Commission announced its intention to withdraw the proposal in June 2025, and the final trilogue negotiations were cancelled.
What rules on green claims apply to fashion brands instead?
EU consumer protection law, reinforced by the directive on empowering consumers for the green transition applying from 27 September 2026, prohibits misleading environmental claims, including generic claims and unverified sustainability labels.
