EU-Regulierung

Generic Environmental Claims from 27 Sept 2026: What "eco-friendly" Advertising May Cost

"Eco-friendly", "green", "natural", "sustainable", these words are standard vocabulary in almost every marketing team. From 27 September 2026, however, they may become one of the most common grounds for warning letters. Annex No. 4a of the blacklist targets exactly these generic environmental claims.

EU-Regulierung

CO₂ Compensation in Advertising: Why "climate neutral" Becomes Risky from 27 Sept 2026

"Climate-neutral product through CO₂ certificates", this advertising was standard for years. From 27 September 2026, in our reading it is generally impermissible. Annex No. 4c of the blacklist prohibits product-related compensation claims without exception.

EU-Regulierung

When things taken for granted are marketed as environmental achievements, Annex 10a of the Unfair Competition Act (UWG)

"BPA-free" on the baby bottle. "Gluten-free" on the water bottle. ‘Complies with the EU Ecodesign Regulation’ on an electrical appliance. What sounds like a special environmental achievement is, in many cases, simply a legal obligation. Annex 10a of the Unfair Commercial Practices Act (UWG) targets precisely this practice.

EU-Regulierung

Section 5a of the Unfair Commercial Practices Act (UWG): Misleading environmental claims, When the ‘blacklist’ does not apply

Has your advertising agency devised a slogan that is cleverly worded to circumvent the ‘blacklist’? Be careful: in our view, Section 5a of the Unfair Competition Act (UWG) is a catch-all provision that can also be applied to slogans which cannot be clearly categorised under any specific ‘blacklist’ offence. We’ll use real-life examples to show when Section 5a might come into play.

EU-Regulierung

The ‘blacklist’ offences under the UWG 2026: an explanation of all the prohibitions

From 27 September 2026, the ‘blacklist’ in the Annex to Section 3(3) of the Unfair Commercial Practices Act (UWG) will contain six new categories of prohibited conduct that expressly ban typical greenwashing practices: General environmental claims, CO₂ offsetting, sustainability labels, scope, statutory standards and seven prohibitions on planned obsolescence. Anyone who commits an offence under these provisions is automatically acting unfairly.

EU-Regulierung

What is greenwashing? Definition, types and legal framework in 2026

Greenwashing is the practice of making products or companies appear more environmentally friendly than they actually are by making unfounded or misleading environmental claims. From 27 September 2026, six new ‘blacklist’ categories will come into force, expressly prohibiting typical practices. Definition, origin, types, legal status.

EU-Regulierung

EmpCo Directive 2024/825: The end of greenwashing in the EU

EU Directive 2024/825, EmpCo for short, amends competition law across the EU. From 27 September 2026, six new ‘blacklist’ offences will come into force, expressly prohibiting typical greenwashing practices. What businesses need to know now, explained in a nutshell.

GreenClaims Manager and Data Protection: An overview of our infrastructure

Where your data is stored, what happens during a website scan, and how we handle AI analytics. A transparent insight into our infrastructure.

Best Practices

Best practices: Sustainability communication without the risk of greenwashing

Authentic sustainability communication builds trust among your stakeholders. These best practices show you how to communicate transparently and credibly.