New rules coming from the European Commission on organic and eco-sustainable food.

European companies will be asked to offer widely recognised scientific evidence to ensure that 'eco', 'bio', or 'reduced climate footprint' labels on their products are truthful, reliable, and comparable across the EU.

Member States will be able to impose "deterrent" administrative sanctions, including fines, against unfounded claims. The new common rules are contained in the 'Green Claims' Directive presented today by Brussels. The aim is to protect consumers and economic operators committed to accelerating the green transition.

The European executive denounces that 53.3% of the 'green' claims on products made by the companies examined in the European Union were vague, misleading or unfounded and almost 40% without foundation. The contrast action focuses in detail on the labels that bear the words 'ecological', 'climate neutral', 'carbon neutral', or '100% CO2 compensated', 'biodegradable', 'compostable', 'bio-based'. Or even in the labels that read: 'T-shirt made with recycled plastic bottles', 'made with CO2 compensation', 'packaging made with 30% recycled plastic' or 'ocean-friendly sunscreen'. On the other hand, indications such as the Eco label already covered by EU rules or the organic food logo are excluded.

Claims or labels that use an aggregate score of the overall environmental impact of the product will no longer be allowed and, in the face of the continued proliferation of environmental labels - Brussels estimates that today there are at least 230 - new public labelling systems will not be allowed, unless they are developed at EU level.

Any new private system will still have to "show higher environmental ambitions than existing ones and obtain pre-approval to be authorized". Member countries will have to ensure the application of the new rules with a system of controls and introduce "effective, proportionate and dissuasive" sanctions for those who do not comply with them, with amounts established according to the "nature and gravity of the violation".