27/03/24 (Agence Europe) – The European directive aimed at protecting consumers against misleading environmental claims officially came into force on Tuesday 26 March. The main aim of this long-debated text is to protect consumers against greenwashing and premature product obsolescence - practices that will be banned as unfair trade practices. As a key measure of the directive, overly general and misleading generic product claims - such as ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘natural’, ‘biodegradable’ or ‘climate neutral’ - are prohibited without proof of recognised environmental performance (see EUROPE 13254/6). Member States must transpose this directive into their national legislation by 27 March 2026. The rules will apply from 27 September 2026. (IS)