Legal Instruments for Consumer Protection Against Greenwashing

Legal Instruments of Consumer Protection Against Greenwashing Abstract This thesis deals with the issue of legal protection of consumers against so-called greenwashing, that is, misleading or deceptive claims presenting products and services as environmentally friendly. Greenwashing represents a growing problem in contemporary society, as it undermines consumer trust, distorts fair competition, and hinders the effective implementation of sustainable development principles. The aim of this thesis is to determine whether the Czech legal framework provides sufficiently effective instruments for consumer protection against greenwashing and whether this protection is practically functional. The thesis applies analytical and descriptive methods, supplemented by synthesis and comparison. It first focuses on defining the concept of greenwashing and its legal nature, distinguishing between its private-law and public-law aspects. The main emphasis is placed on public-law protection under Act No. 634/1992 Coll., on Consumer Protection, and on related instruments, particularly the supervisory powers of the Czech Trade Inspection Authority and the newly introduced representative actions. A separate chapter is devoted to the case study Lidl vs. Dobře zapsaný spolek, which represents the only known court dispute...