The report amends the original proposal aiming to protect consumers against greenwashing but also striving to ensure fair competition for businesses which make green claims. Significantly, it creates a simplified verification system for some explicit environmental claims, which should streamline and shorten the process as established by the Commission’s proposal and reduce administrative burden. Two other changes concern green claims made on carbon offsetting and green claims made on products containing hazardous substances. Furthermore, the report amends the transposition period and introduces a transitional provision for SMEs.
IMCO co-Rapporteur, Mr Ansip said: “Consumers and entrepreneurs deserve transparency, legal clarity and equal conditions of competition…. I am pleased that the solution proposed by the committees is balanced, brings more clarity to consumers and is, in many cases, less burdensome for businesses than the solution originally proposed by the Commission.”