Brussels Halts Negotiations on Greenwashing Law Amid Political Deadlock

Legislative paralysis in Brussels. Yesterday, the Council and the European Parliament cancelled the meeting that both bodies had scheduled to advance in the development of the legislative text against environmental claims. The decision, which was announced shortly before the meeting took place, follows the European Commission's announcement to withdraw the proposed law.

The European Parliament has denounced in a statement both the fact itself of canceling the directive, known as the Green Claims Directive, as well as not holding the meeting. "This modus operandi could set a dangerous precedent for the legislative process and institutional procedures, leading to an unnecessary and avoidable confrontation between the co-legislators," the body said.

From the community parliament they have described as "unfair" the fact of denying the possibility of negotiating the directive after two years of legislative process. "We are being prevented from debating and hopefully agreeing on an important directive that helps to promote environmental awareness and consumer confidence," the statement continues.

Brussels has put on hold and scaled back the implementation of various sustainable standards

The text was originally presented by the European Commission in 2023, with the aim of putting an end to environmental claims in the form of eco-claims or eco-labels that were not based on a scientific and verifiable basis. The aim was, in fact, to establish such minimum requirements for the justification, communication and verification of claims.

Although the Commission was the driving force behind the regulation, it was this same body that last week announced its intentions to withdraw the proposal. The regulation was first presented during the previous legislature of the Executive, marked by a more sustainable agenda. After the elections, however, conservatism has gained weight in Brussels, and a number of environmental laws have been put on hold.

The most relevant example of this new EU direction is the Omnibus package, which has significantly reduced the scope of action of three main pieces of sustainability legislation, as well as postponing their implementation date. "It denatures the Commission's proposal, which sought to simplify and not to add complexity," the Executive justified its decision in relation to the change of direction of the directive against greenwashing.