Greenpeace has launched a formal challenge against Austria, accusing the government of weakening a landmark EU anti-greenwashing directive before it even takes effect.
The complaint, submitted Friday to the European Commission, targets Austria’s decision to allow products already on store shelves to carry unverified environmental claims for an additional three years after the new rules kick in Sunday.
The EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition directive aims to stamp out misleading sustainability marketing. Companies will need verifiable evidence for environmental assertions. Sustainability labels must meet certification standards, and climate neutrality claims face stricter scrutiny.
Under the incoming rules, firms cannot advertise environmental benefits based solely on meeting minimum legal requirements. Vague or deceptive statements about product durability and repairability also face prohibition.
Ursula Bittner, economic expert at Greenpeace Austria, called the directive “a milestone in the fight against greenwashing.” Yet she accused Austrian authorities of actively sabotaging the EU’s efforts by granting manufacturers a grace period the directive does not authorize.
The environmental group cited an independent legal analysis it commissioned, which found Austria’s implementation violates EU law. The three-year transition window, Greenpeace argues, lets companies continue marketing products with unsubstantiated green claims long after the deadline.
Greenpeace now demands that Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer amend the national legislation immediately, striking the transition period entirely. The European Commission will review the complaint and could open infringement proceedings against Austria if it finds the country out of compliance.
With greenwashing facing unprecedented regulatory pressure across Europe, the case could set an important precedent for how member states implement consumer protection rules. A ruling against Austria would signal that national governments cannot quietly dilute EU environmental standards through legislative loopholes.
