EU Regulators Plan to Withdraw Anti-Greenwashing Legislation

The European Commission Slams the Brakes on Green Claims Directive

In an unexpected twist, the EU Commission has decided to pull the plug on its legislative proposal for minimum standards against misleading environmental advertising claims, often referred to as the Green Claims Directive. A spokesperson for the agency in Brussels confirmed the commission's intention to withdraw the proposal, citing counteractive discussions with the proposal's simplification agenda as the primary reason [1][3][4].

The controversial proposal, if approved, could impact around 30 million small businesses across the EU [2]. The conservative party, CDU, applauded the commission’s decision, with Andreas Schwab, the internal market spokesman for the EVP faction, stating that the proposed regulations were excessively complex and extremely burdensome for small and medium-sized businesses [2].

It's worth mentioning that the Commission holds the exclusive right to propose and withdraw laws from the legislative process [4]. Despite the withdrawal, ongoing negotiations are proceeding between EU states and the European Parliament over the proposal, with a possible final round of discussions scheduled for Monday [4]. Previously, the EVP faction of the European Parliament, which includes the CDU and CSU, had urged the commission to rescind the legislative proposal in a letter, criticizing a lack of thorough investigation into the proposal's potential impacts [4].

The aim of the proposed rules was to ensure consumers could trust the environmental claims made about the products they purchase. Advertising claims like "ocean-friendly t-shirts" or "100% CO2-compensated deliveries" would have been subjected to increased scrutiny, helping to eliminate the practice known as greenwashing [4]. A 2020 study by the EU agency found that more than half of claims about a product's climate-friendliness were either misleading or unfounded [4].

However, not everyone is pleased with the commission's decision. Foodwatch called on the commission to stand firm, stating that corporate interests should not be prioritized over consumer protection and otherwise erode trust in politics [4]. The precise details surrounding the Commission's decision are still to be disclosed, though it appears that consensus within the commission on the matter is lacking [5].

For their part, primary negotiators from the European Parliament aim to swiftly resolve the issue, expressing frustration at the perceived commission intervention so close to the conclusion of negotiations [5]. Meanwhile, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) welcomed the EU commission's decision, arguing that this lack of additional costs and bureaucracy is particularly important during challenging economic times [4].

[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/eu/eu-commission-to-scrap-plan-tackle-greenwashing-claims-2021-11-10[2] https://www.reuters.com/business/eu-business-news/european-commission-to-withdraw-proposal-fighting-greenwashing-2021-11-09/[3] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-10/eu-s-green-deal-hit-by-setback-as-commission-shelves-ad-plan[4] https://www.politico.eu/news/2021/11/10/green-washing-rules-set-to-be-repealed-by-eu-41103[5] https://www.euractiv.com/section/competition- consisted-market/news/eu-greens-upset-as-commission-abruptly- scraps-plan-to-tackle-greenwashing/

The withdrawal of the Green Claims Directive proposal by the European Commission has sparked controversy within the environmental science community, as the rules aimed to combat misleading environmental advertising and excessive greenwashing.
The impact of this decision on policy-and-legislation and environmental-science extends beyond just the EU, as it could potentially undermine trust in both the science supporting climate-change and the general-news regarding the EU's commitment to mitigating climate-change.
Amidst heated discussions about policy-and-legislation involving climate-change, politicians such as Andreas Schwab of the CDU have voiced their opposition to the Green Claims Directive, casting it as overly burdensome and complex for businesses.