---
title: "Green Claims Directive: agreement in Parliament"
id: "2737"
type: "post"
slug: "green-claims-directive-agreement-in-parliament"
published_at: "2024-04-17T09:32:51+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-02-19T18:27:31+00:00"
url: "https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/legal-article/green-claims-directive-agreement-in-parliament/"
markdown_url: "https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/legal-article/green-claims-directive-agreement-in-parliament.md"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Legal Article"
taxonomy_language:
  - "English"
taxonomy_post_translations:
  - "pll_6980d9b9b4cb1"
taxonomy_tax_expertise:
  - "European Law"
  - "European Litigation"
---

Menu          Interagir avec notre IA

 Practice Areas (66) Transactional- [Artificial intelligence](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/artificial-intelligence/)
- [Capital Markets](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/capital-markets/)
- [Commercial and International Contracts](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/commercial-and-international-contracts/)
- [Commercial Contracts and Strategic Partnerships](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/commercial-contracts-and-strategic-partnerships/)
- [Competition Law, European Regulation and FDI](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/competition-state-aid/)
- [Consumer, Marketing & Advertising](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/distribution-and-consumer-law/)
- [Financing](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/financing/)
- [Foreign Investment Control](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/foreign-investment-control/)
- [Go-to-Market](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/go-to-market/)
- [Intellectual Property](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/intellectual-property/)
- [International Trade](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/international-trade/)
- [Labor and Social Security Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/labor-and-social-security-law/)
- [Mergers-acquisitions](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/mergers-acquisitions/)
- [Patents](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/patents/)
- [Personal Data and Cybersecurity](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/personal-data-and-cybersecurity/)
- [Private equity](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/private-equity/)
- [Projects and Infrastructure](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/projects-and-infrastructure/)
- [Public Procurement](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/public-procurement/)
- [Real Estate and Construction](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/real-estate-and-construction/)
- [Restructuring](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/restructuring/)
- [Securities Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/securities-law/)
- [Tax](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tax/)
- [Tech And Digital](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tech-and-digital/)

Dispute Resolution- [Administrative and Public Law Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/administrative-and-public-law-litigation/)
- [Arbitration and ADR](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/arbitration-and-adr/)
- [Class Actions](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/class-actions/)
- [Commercial and Corporate Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/commercial-and-corporate-litigation/)
- [Competition Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/competition-consumer-and-distribution-litigation/)
- [Constitutional Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/constitutional-litigation/)
- [Defective Products and Insurance Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/defective-products-and-insurance-litigation/)
- [Employment and Social Security Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/employment-and-social-security-litigation/)
- [Environmental and ESG Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/environmental-and-esg-litigation/)
- [European Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/european-litigation/)
- [Insolvency and Restructuring](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/insolvency-and-restructuring/)
- [Intellectual Property, Media, and Press Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/intellectual-property-media-and-press-litigation/)
- [Patent Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/patent-litigation/)
- [Real Estate, Construction, and Land Use Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/real-estate-construction-and-land-use-litigation/)
- [Securities Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/securities-litigation/)
- [Tax litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tax-litigation/)
- [Tech, Digital and Data Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tech-digital-and-data-litigation/)
- [White-Collar Crime and Investigations](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/white-collar-crime-and-investigations/)

Advisory- [Artificial intelligence](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/artificial-intelligence/)
- [Commercial Contracts and Strategic Partnerships](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/commercial-contracts-and-strategic-partnerships/)
- [Consumer, Marketing & Advertising](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/distribution-and-consumer-law/)
- [Go-to-Market](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/go-to-market/)
- [Governance and Corporate Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/gouvernance-et-droit-des-societes/)
- [Insurance Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/insurance-law/)
- [Intellectual Property](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/intellectual-property/)
- [Labor and Social Security Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/labor-and-social-security-law/)
- [Patents](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/patents/)
- [Private Clients](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/private-clients/)
- [Tax](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tax/)
- [Tech And Digital](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/tech-and-digital/)

Regulatory- [Competition Law, European Regulation and FDI](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/competition-state-aid/)
- [Compliance and Investigations](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/compliance-and-investigations/)
- [Digital and Technology Regulation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/digital-and-technology-regulation/)
- [Digital Assets](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/digital-assets/)
- [Environmental and Urban Planning Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/environmental-and-urban-planning-law/)
- [ESG](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/esg/)
- [European Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/european-law/)
- [International Sanctions and Export Controls](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/international-sanctions-and-export-controls/)
- [International Trade](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/international-trade/)
- [Personal Data and Cybersecurity](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/personal-data-and-cybersecurity/)
- [Product Compliance and Safety](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/product-compliance-and-safety/)
- [Public Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/public-law/)
- [Securities Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/expertise/securities-law/)

  Sectors (13) - [Aerospace and Defense](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/aerospace-and-defense/)
- [Banking & Finance](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/banking-finance/)
- [Data Centers](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/data-centers/)
- [Energy](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/energy/)
- [Health and Life Sciences](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/health-and-life-sciences/)
- [Infrastructure Projects](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/infrastructure-projects/)
- [Luxury And Retail](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/luxury-and-retail/)
- [Manufacturing](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/manufacturing/)
- [Media](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/media/)
- [Real Estate & Construction](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/real-estate-construction/)
- [Sport](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/sport/)
- [Tech & Digital](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/tech-digital/)
- [Telecommunications & Digital Infrastructure](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/secteur/telecommunications-digital-infrastructure/)

Cet article résumé en une minute avec l’IA

On March 12th, 2024, the European Parliament adopted, in plenary session, its position on the green claims directive (the “Directive” or “Green Claims Directive”*)*.[[1]](#_ftn1)
 The Commission had made its proposal on March 22nd, 2023.[[2]](#_ftn2)
 In essence, the Directive aims at protecting citizens against misleading advertising (and specifically greenwashing) and as such supplements the directive empowering consumers to act in favor of the ecological transition.[[3]](#_ftn3)

The key element of the Directive is that **companies need to prove their environmental marketing claims before being able to advertise**for products claimed to be “biodegradable”, “less polluting” or having a “bio-based content” for example. Products marketed online will also be concerned by these obligations.

The information used to substantiate these green claims must be based on **independent and verifiable scientific evidence** having regard to Union or international standards. A link can be made here between Green Claims and the climate and biodiversity reporting obligations contained in the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (issued in application of the CSRD).

Member States will have to appoint**verifiers tasked with pre-approving the use of such claims**, with the assessment to be made within a period of 30 days, except for simpler products and claims for which verification will be faster.

**Green claims based on carbon offsetting will remain banned**. Companies will, however, be able to mention carbon offsetting and removal schemes in their ads if they only use these schemes for residual emissions only and have already reduced their emissions as much as possible. In any event, the carbon credits will have to be certified and reliable.

In terms of sanctions, companies that infringe the rules can be **temporarily excluded from public procurement procedures** or fined at least **4% of their annual turnover**.

The Parliament proposes that the Directive apply **30 months** after the date of its entry into force. SMEs will have **an additional year** to come into compliance (i.e., 42 months), while micro enterprises are not covered by the Directive.

The dossier will be followed by the new Parliament after the European elections on June 6th-9th, 2024. For its part, the Council of the European Union still needs to adopt its position before the trilogues can begin.

[[1]](#_ftnref1)
 [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR19001/parliament-wants-to-improve-consumer-protection-against-misleading-claims](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR19001/parliament-wants-to-improve-consumer-protection-against-misleading-claims)

[[2]](#_ftnref2)
 [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0166](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52023PC0166)

[[3]](#_ftnref3)
 [https://www.august-debouzy.com/fr/blog/1999-provisional-agreement-on-the-directive-to-empower-consumers-for-the-green-transition](https://www.august-debouzy.com/fr/blog/1999-provisional-agreement-on-the-directive-to-empower-consumers-for-the-green-transition)

Share

- Linkedin
- Copy Link

Cet article résumé en une minute avec l’IA

### Authors

1

- [Marc Mossé](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/collaborateur/marc-mosse-2/)

### Practice Area

2

- [European Law](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/tax-expertise/european-law/)
- [European Litigation](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/tax-expertise/european-litigation/)

## Discover more content that might interest you

News

[19/02/26 European Law 0 min International Association – Belgian Constitutional Case Representation of an international association before the Belgian Constitutional Court, requesting a preliminary ruling from the CJEU on the interpretation of an EU directive. Read more](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/business-case/international-association-belgian-constitutional-case/)
[19/02/26 European Law 0 min Defense Group – EU Taxonomy Challenge Represented a defense sector leader before the General Court of the EU challenging the Commission’s exclusion of business aviation from the EU taxonomy. Read more](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/business-case/defense-group-eu-taxonomy-challenge/)
[19/02/26 European Law 0 min Communications Company – CSRD Directive Compliance Assisted with CSRD implementation, clarifying scope, timing, and applicability to EU subsidiaries issuing bonds on foreign markets. Read more](https://augustdeboustg.wpenginepowered.com/en/business-case/communications-company-csrd-directive-compliance/)