New EU Legislation Against Greenwashing: Impacts on the Food Sector

This paper examines the recent legislative developments introduced by Directive 2024/825, which addresses misleading environmental claims, commonly known as “greenwashing”. The objective of the study is to analyze the Directive’s potential to enhance consumer trust and promote fair competition in the food sector, where claims such as “organic”, “green”, “natural”, are commonly used. The paper follows a qualitative research approach, utilizing legal and regulatory analysis to assess how the Directive establishes stricter standards for verifying claims related to climate impact and carbon footprint. The findings indicate that the Directive addresses significant gaps by prohibiting unfounded generic claims and non-certified eco-labels. The paper recommends further initiatives to enhance market transparency and address challenges in the practical implementation of the new provisions.