MEPs adopt their negotiating position on a directive to improve product labelling, make products last longer and end misleading claims. The Internal Market Committee’s draft text would ban the use of general environmental claims like “environmentally friendly”, “natural”, “biodegradable”, “climate neutral” or “eco” if these do not come with detailed evidence. To simplify product information, only sustainability labels based on official certification schemes or established by public authorities should be allowed. Extracts from the debate, the vote and statement by Biljana BORZAN (S&D, HR), Rapporteur.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

BORZAN, Biljana (S&D, HR)

consumers' protection (T)

GOZI, Sandro (Renew, FR)

REYNDERS, Didier (BE, EC)

SCHALDEMOSE, Christel (S&D, DK)

KOKALARI, Arba (EPP, SE)

CORMAND, David (Greens/EFA, FR)

European Green Deal (T)

Fit for 55 (T)

Empowering consumers for the green transition: extracts from the debate (09/05), extracts from the vote and statement by Biljana BORZAN (S&D, HR), Rapporteur

Title: Empowering consumers for the green transition: extracts from the debate (09/05), extracts from the vote and statement by Biljana BORZAN (S&amp;D, HR), Rapporteur (EbS) 

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, This proposal is a major contribution to the green transition. Indeed, many consumers want to play a more active role in the green transition through their consumption choices, but they too often lack the necessary information to do so. For instance, the 2023 Consumer Condition scoreboard shows that more than half of respondents said they were influenced by environmental considerations when purchasing a product recently. But 39% also flagged that they consider environmental claims unreliable.

SOUNDBITE (English), Didier REYNDERS, European Commissioner for Justice, This proposal aims to ensure that consumers are provided with better information on the durability and repeatability of products at the point of sale. It also aims to ensure better protection of consumers against harmful practices that prevent them from making optimal, sustainable consumption choices.

SOUNDBITE (Swedish), Arba KOKALARI (EPP, SE), If the consumers don't have the information which lets them encourage companies to make sustainable products. I think it should be easier to do these things. I think we should be encouraging companies to be a greener and we need to help consumers so that they can buy greener products. We need to stop with green washing, whether it comes from companies or environmental activists.

SOUNDBITE (Danish), Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&amp;D, DA), With this new legislation, we can put an end to unfair trade practices which put consumers at a disadvantage in the green transition. Consumers must be able to see how sustainable the products in their basket are, how long the life span. Can they be repaired? Can they trust a labelling scheme? Consumers are done with buy, use and throw away. Now producers must support the circular economy and consumers need to get reliable information, not misinformation.

SOUNDBITE (French), Sandro GOZI (Renew, IT), The goal is to allow consumers to make decisions that will respect the environment and to encourage businesses to provide sustainable products to consumers. We see greenwashing too much and its use too much by some companies to improve their image. We want to put an end to premature obsolescence for certain products, as well as fighting misleading claims that have insidiously led consumers to make purchases that are unnecessary.

SOUNDBITE (French), David CORMAND (Greens/EFA, FR), Greenwashing, which, you know, pretends that something is sustainable when it is not greenwashing, will come to an end thanks to our efforts. We're talking about sanctions being meted out to those who mislead. And this should be part and parcel of our rules on unfair competition. I very much hope that the Commission and the Council will support us in this revolution in the way in which we look at consumption.

SOUNDBITE (English), Biljana BORZAN (S&amp;D, HR), Rapporteur, We want consumers to have a power to decide what kind of product they will buy, to have full information to to be able to participate in green transition and to save some money. So consumers will be able to decide to buy more durable products, products that are more environmentally friendly and in that way participate in this green position.

SOUNDBITE (English), Biljana BORZAN (S&amp;D, HR), Rapporteur, Now we want to have order in this, so only a certified authorised body in member states will be able to give the certificates.

SOUNDBITE (English), Biljana BORZAN (S&amp;D, HR), Rapporteur, The label will be two plus two, or two plus one, or two plus zero (years of guarantee). First two means legal guarantee, and the second number is a commercial guarantee. So this is something that can initiate competition between producers because of course, consumers will choose products that will last longer and that have a longer guarantee. And this is being very clearly marked on this label.

SOUNDBITE (English), Biljana BORZAN (S&amp;D, HR), Rapporteur, We enable our consumers to not to have to prove that there was intention of a producer for premature obsolescence. So this is the main difference, because in the initial proposal, consumers would have to prove that there was a special intention of the producer, which is of course impossible.