EU Green Claims Directive (EUGCD):

In other news, on Wednesday 17th January 2024, the EU overwhelmingly voted for the adoption of the Green Claims Directive, with 593 votes in favour, 21 against and 14 abstentions. The Directive that is designed to prevent companies from misleading consumers through “greenwashing” or vague marketing claims, will now go for Council approval at the Plenary in March. Once granted, there is likely to be a 24 month period before it enters into law. This could be good news for the leather industry as it should prevent the plastic alternatives from making unsubstantiated claims that suggest their products are better for the environment than the real leather options.

Under the Directive:

• Generic environmental claims and other misleading product information will be outlawed
• Only sustainability labels based on approved certification schemes or established by public authorities will be allowed
• Guarantee information has to be more visible and a new guarantee extension label will be introduced

The Sustainable Leather Foundation welcomes the legislative initiatives at the EU and national level as the right approach to protect against unfair commercial practices and misleading environmental claims. The proposed changes to legislation are suitable for strengthening both consumer protection and the competitiveness of the leather sector in this area.

SLF supports a harmonised common criteria to be followed for the justification of claims used in relation to leather products and is committed to supporting the industry with the definition of a framework for the development of reliable sustainability claims.

By establishing common criteria, the leather value chain will be able to offer a high guarantee to consumers to safeguard against deceptive claims in relation to non-leather imitation materials, and brands will be able to re-establish trust with their consumers.

The SLF Claims Framework outlines the dos and don’ts of consumer and customer messaging, and supports partners to make positive claims using appropriate language.

For more information about the range of support services that SLF provides, please visit the website: www.sustainableleatherfoundation.com or email info@sustainableleatherfoundation.com