As of 27 September 2026, new rules regarding environmental and sustainability claims will apply across the European Union under the EmpCo Directive (EU 2024/825). Vertbaudet requires all merchants to review and update their product catalogue to ensure full compliance with these mandatory regulations.
Action Required Before 27 September 2026
You must review all published and future product content (including titles, descriptions, attributes, images, logos, labels, and certifications). Any non-compliant environmental or sustainability claims must be corrected or removed before the deadline. These requirements apply to both existing active listings and new product submissions.
Guidelines for Environmental Claims
To comply with the directive, all environmental claims must be specific, accurate, and verifiable. Please refer to the table below for guidance on acceptable and unacceptable phrasing.
| Compliant Claims (Do) | Non-Compliant Claims (Don't) |
|---|---|
| Factual, verifiable wording (e.g., "100% organic cotton", "Contains 50% recycled polyester"). | Unsupported generic claims (e.g., "durable", "eco-friendly", "green", "environmentally friendly", "responsible"). |
| Clear scope explicitly stating what the claim applies to (e.g., "Packaging made from 80% recycled cardboard"). | Vague scope presenting a characteristic of a single part (like packaging) as if it applies to the entire product. |
Labels, Certifications, and Scope
- Legitimate Certifications: Any sustainability label or certification used (e.g., "GOTS certified") must genuinely apply to the product and comply with regulatory requirements.
- No Self-Created Labels: Self-created labels or icons that mimic official certifications or give customers the false impression of an official endorsement must not be used.
- Provide Evidence: You must be able to provide appropriate supporting evidence or documentation for your claims upon request.
Need More Information?
If you require further details or have specific questions regarding these new compliance requirements, please contact your Vertbaudet account manager directly.
Click here to view the original marketplace communication
Original Marketplace Communication
From: Marketplace Vertbaudet (no-reply@marketplace.vertbaudet.com)
Subject: Action requise | EmpCo – Nouvelles règles EU
Date: 18 September 2026
Hello,
From 27 September 2026, new rules regarding environmental and sustainability claims will apply across the European Union under the EmpCo Directive (EU 2024/825), regardless of the progress of its transposition into national law in each Member State by that date. Where applicable, these new requirements are in addition to existing national rules regarding misleading environmental claims.
As a seller on the Vertbaudet Marketplace, we ask you to review the information you provide for your products, including titles, descriptions, attributes, images, logos, labels and certifications.
What you need to check
Environmental claims must be specific, accurate and verifiable. Please avoid general statements such as “sustainable”, “eco-friendly”, “green”, “environmentally friendly”, “responsible” or similar wording when these claims are not supported by sufficiently specific and substantiated information.
Instead, use clear and verifiable information, for example:
“100% organic cotton”
“Contains 50% recycled polyester”
“Packaging made from 80% recycled cardboard”
“GOTS certified”, where the certification actually applies to the relevant product
Labels and certifications
Any sustainability label or certification used must actually apply to the relevant product and comply with the applicable regulatory requirements. Self-created labels that may give customers the impression of an official certification should not be used if they do not meet these requirements.
You must be able to provide appropriate supporting evidence upon request.
Make sure the scope of your claim is clear
An environmental characteristic that only applies to one part of a product must not be presented as applying to the entire product. For example, if only the packaging is made from recycled materials, the product information must clearly state that the claim relates to the packaging and not to the product itself.
Action required before 27 September 2026
Please review your existing product content on the Vertbaudet Marketplace and amend or remove any environmental or sustainability claims that do not meet these principles.
These requirements apply both to products already online and to any new product content you provide in the future.
Thank you for your cooperation.
The Vertbaudet Marketplace Team
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