Directive (EU) 2024/825: one year of progress towards ethical consumption
On 6 March 2025, it will be one year since Directive (EU) 2024/825 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, marking a significant turning point in consumer protection as part of the green transition.
Was this the necessary impetus to transition towards a truly sustainable market?
The keys to Directive (EU) 2024/825:
The most significant success of the Directive is that it highlights commercial practices that are pervasive yet controversial and have historically lacked effective regulation. A case in point is the frustration experienced by consumers when products, designed to last longer than promised, often reach the end of their useful life cycle much earlier than anticipated. This phenomenon, known as 'premature obsolescence', is a central concern that the new standard aims to address at its core.
Another salient issue is 'greenwashing', a term denoting the practice of selling products or services as 'sustainable' or 'environmentally friendly' without a substantive basis for doing so.
In this sense, we can affirm that the main objectives of the aforementioned Directive are as follows:
- Safeguarding consumer interests by ensuring transparency and accountability in environmental claims.
- Eliminating ambiguous terms and unsubstantiated promises such as ‘climate neutrality’.
- Promoting the harmonization of sustainability across Europe, emphasizing its significance as an imperative for businesses and consumers.
It is important to recognize that this shift may present a substantial challenge to companies, as they are required to substantiate their environmental commitments with verifiable and publicly accessible plans. This Directive seeks to harmonize the message across Europe: sustainability is not an option, it is an obligation.
Is your company ready to comply with the new requirements of Directive (EU) 2024/825 and take advantage of the opportunities offered by sustainability?
At UNGRIA we help you protect your intangible assets while adapting your business to this new regulatory framework. Our team of IP experts is ready to guide you every step of the way towards transparency, innovation and responsible competitiveness. Contact us for more information.
In summary, Directive (EU) 2024/825 has not functioned as a regulatory instrument; instead, it has motivated all European Union countries to adopt a scenario in which ethical consumption is straightforward, companies compete to demonstrate the highest levels of transparency, and environmental commitment is more than a mere slogan. The progress of this transition is already evident.
Do you want to find out more information about this Directive? We have prepared a newsletter in which we expand on more topics: access it here.
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