In recent months, several decisions have been published that are reshaping the European approach to sustainability across various sectors, while some previously adopted measures will begin to apply in the new year. It appears that the European Union is simultaneously accelerating investments in new technologies, introducing controls on environmental marketing claims, adjusting regulatory frameworks to the economy, and continuing discussions on long-term climate objectives.

Unproven Carbon-Neutral Flights Under Scrutiny

The European Consumer Organization (BEUC) has been challenging airline claims that flights can be sustainable. Following a 2023 complaint submitted to the European Commission and the Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPC), BEUC documented that messaging around carbon-neutral flights and the possibility of offsetting emissions through contributions for tree planting or alternative fuel development is, in effect, misleading to consumers.

In cooperation with its 23 national member consumer organizations, BEUC presented evidence that such claims violate EU rules on unfair commercial practices, as offsets do not actually eliminate emissions and sustainable aviation fuels account for only a symbolic share of overall fuel consumption. Their reports showed that greenwashing remained widespread, prompting an investigation and months-long dialogue with airlines.

The most recent outcome of this dialogue was published in a European Commission statement on 6 November 2025. According to the announcement, 21 European airlines have agreed to revise how they use environmental claims in their marketing.

Agreed Changes for Airlines As outlined in the Commission’s communication, airlines must make clear that the CO2 emissions of a given flight cannot be neutralized, directly reduced, or compensated simply through passengers’ financial contributions to, for example, climate projects. This does not dispute the potential positive effects of such projects, but rather the notion that a single flight can thereby become emission-free or climate neutral, as emissions still occur.

Airlines will thus need to avoid vague green expressions—such as “eco-friendly travel”—or any wording that suggests a flight is significantly less harmful to the climate without adequate explanation and proof.

The use of the term sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will be allowed, but must be accompanied by proper clarification and evidence. When referring to future goals, such as achieving net-zero emissions, airlines will be expected to specify timeframes and, for example, the scope of emissions targeted.

Furthermore, all CO2 calculations presented to passengers must be displayed clearly and transparently, ensuring that travelers understand what stands behind the figures shown for their flights. Ultimately, the burden of proof shifts to the companies, which must substantiate their environmental claims before presenting them publicly.

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Combating Misleading Green Claims

Another measure relevant to consumers is Directive (EU) 2024/825, published in 2024 and set to become mandatory across all EU Member States in September 2026. Through this directive, the European Union amends two existing regulations—Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices and Directive 2011/83/EU on consumer rights—to ensure that consumers can make truly sustainable and well-informed decisions.

Directive (EU) 2024/825 introduces additional rules to counter misleading green claims and marketing practices that mislead consumers into making incorrect choices. Practices such as intentionally shortening a product’s lifespan to encourage more frequent purchases, using vague or inaccurate environmental assertions (greenwashing), providing false information about corporate social responsibility, or relying on unverified and unreliable sustainability labels are largely not accidental.

Advertising benefits that sound positive but are irrelevant to the product itself—and therefore capable of misleading consumers—will be prohibited. The examples cited in the directive clearly illustrate this: stating that a particular brand of bottled water is gluten-free, or that paper sheets contain no plastic, may be technically accurate, but such messages offer no real value to consumers. Instead, they create a false impression of distinction, even though the characteristics in question are common to all products of that type.

Strict rules are also being set for sustainability labels. Only labels issued by publicly available, credible certification schemes or by a public authority will be allowed. Each eco-label must have clear criteria, transparency, and independent verification of compliance to eliminate arbitrary, self-created eco-tags.

One common and particularly misleading practice addressed by the directive is presenting an entire product or company as environmentally responsible when, in reality, only a small portion of it is sustainable. The directive provides explicit examples: a product advertised as made from recycled materials when only the packaging is recycled, or a retailer that implies exclusive use of renewable energy while some of its facilities still operate on fossil fuels. Such practices will be considered deceptive in pursuit of a broader goal: preventing unsubstantiated green marketing.

Regulatory Easing

Contrary to the common perception that the European Union continuously introduces new regulatory obligations, the Omnibus I package represents a phase of correction and adjustment to current economic conditions. Over the past years, companies, investors, and the public have warned that the scope of specific ESG regulations creates high costs and difficulties, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises. In response, the European Parliament endorsed several proposals to adjust the scope of certain rules to ease the regulatory burden on smaller economic actors.

In legislative terms, the essence of Omnibus I is to consolidate, within a single legislative package, amendments to the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), adjustments to the CSDDD (Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive), and technical modifications to the CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism).

A particularly important part of the package concerns CBAM. One of the key updates is the introduction of a new exemption threshold of 50 tons per year for goods subject to CBAM. This means that companies importing less than this amount will be fully exempt from reporting obligations and from purchasing CBAM certificates. According to estimates by the European Commission, this amendment will relieve as many as 182,000 importers—primarily small and medium-sized enterprises and individual businesses—while still covering more than 99 percent of the emissions that CBAM is intended to regulate.

Prepared by: Milica Vučković

The story was published in Energy portal Magazine RESPONSIBLE BUSINNES