§4.1.1.6 Application of Annex I to environmental claims

The following practices listed in Annex I are particularly relevant to environmental claims: Point No 1 of ANNEX I ‘Claiming to be a signatory of a code of conduct when the trader is not.’ For example: A trader falsely displaying on its website that it is a signatory of a code of conduct on the product’s environmental performance. Point No 2 of ANNEX I ‘Displaying a trust mark, quality mark or equivalent without having obtained the necessary authorisation.’ For example: Using any EU or national label (e.g.: EU Ecolabel, Nordic Swan Label, Blue Angel or other logo) without authorisation. Point No 3 of ANNEX I ‘Claiming that a code of conduct has an endorsement from a public or other body which it does not have.’ For example: A trader falsely claiming that the code of conduct of its car-manufacturing company is endorsed by the national environment agency, ministry or consumer’s organisation. Point No 4 of ANNEX I ‘Claiming that a trader (including his commercial practices) or a product has been approved, endorsed or authorised by a public or private body when he/it has not or making such a claim without complying with the terms of the approval, endorsement or authorisation.’ For example: Falsely claiming that a car complies with the terms of type approval legislation, while using illegal defeat devices. Point No 10 of ANNEX I ‘Presenting rights given to consumers in law as a distinctive feature of the trader’s offer’. This provision clarifies that traders should not mislead consumers by unduly emphasising attributes that come from regulatory requirements. For example: Traders should not claim that a product is free of certain substances if such substances are already prohibited by legislation.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07