On September 27, 2026, the new European provisions aimed at tackling greenwashing and strengthening consumer protection in sustainability communications became applicable in Italy.
The rules, introduced by EU Directive 2024/825, “Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition” (transposed into Italian law by Legislative Decree No. 30 of February 20, 2026), regulate how companies may communicate the environmental characteristics of products and services.
The aim is to make environmental information addressed to consumers clearer, more specific and verifiable, limiting the use of generic or potentially misleading statements. The new provisions apply, among other things, to packaging, labels, advertising, websites and other commercial communication tools.
More Specific and Verifiable Environmental Claims
The new rules introduce into the Italian Consumer Code the definition of an “environmental claim”, covering statements and representations, including graphic or symbolic ones, that attribute to a product, brand or company a positive or neutral environmental impact, a lower impact than other products, or an improvement in its environmental performance over time.
Particular attention is given to generic environmental claims such as “green”, “eco-friendly”, “sustainable” or “environmentally friendly”. Expressions of this kind may not be used unless they are supported by relevant and demonstrable environmental performance.
The legislation also addresses claims relating to a product as a whole: an environmental benefit referring only to one component or a specific aspect may not be presented in a way that makes it appear to be a characteristic of the entire product.
What Changes for Companies
The application of the new provisions makes it necessary to review how the environmental characteristics of products and services are communicated. Packaging, labels, advertising campaigns, websites, catalogues and digital content may all be affected by the new rules.
For companies, it is no longer sufficient simply to verify that an environmental statement is accurate. It is also important to specify what the claim refers to, what evidence it is based on and how it can be verified.
The European Commission has published FAQs on Directive 2024/825 to provide guidance on the application of the new provisions, with particular reference to generic environmental claims, sustainability labels, trademarks and trade names.
The application of the new rules marks a further step towards more transparent, specific and verifiable sustainability communication, strengthening the role of environmental information in consumer choices.
Further Information: European Commission – Sustainable Consumption
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