In a report published on Thursday 7 March by its Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the European Union is urged to step up the fight against misleading practices by companies falsely claiming to respect the environment. Highlighting the shortcomings of current legislation, this document proposes an approach based on human rights to curb greenwashing, a phenomenon, according to the Agency, that is becoming increasingly widespread in product advertising.
The report points to the urgent need to use rigorous scientific criteria to validate companies’ environmental claims, and stresses the need for firmer enforcement of consumer rights. The aim of this measure is to steer commercial practices towards greater environmental responsibility and encourage consumers to adopt more sustainable behaviour.
It stresses the need to improve access to information on the environmental impact of products and services.
In addition, the study highlights the importance of tough penalties to deter companies from making unfounded environmental claims, stating that in some countries, such as France, fines can be as high as 80% of the cost of the misleading promotional campaign.
Another major aspect raised by the report is the essential role of civil society organisations in the fight against greenwashing. The report calls for greater access to justice for these organisations and consumers to enable them to effectively defend environmental interests.
Analysing the laws of 10 EU Member States (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal), the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights offers a comparative perspective and finally calls for harmonisation of the rules at European level.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/b7p (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)