“The Commission intends to withdraw the green claims proposal,” said a spokesperson for the executive on Friday.

The European Commission said on Friday it would axe a law designed to outlaw unfounded claims about the environmental or climate friendliness of companies or their products, in line with a demand from the centre-right European People's Party.

The legislation, known as the Green Claims Directive, was proposed in 2023 and intended prevent companies from making unsubstantiated assertions about their carbon footprint and other environmental impacts.

“The Commission intends to withdraw the green claims proposal,” said a spokesperson for the executive on Friday, without elaborating a reason, just days before final informal talks to conclude the law were scheduled to take place.

On Wednesday, the centre-right EPP group told the executive to kill the law, as Euractiv reported. The demand was later echoed by the nationalist ECR.

The law was long opposed by business groups, who complained of increased administrative work, and faced hefty fines if caught 'greenwashing' if the law were to be adopted in line with the demands of environmental groups and progressive MEPs. [...]

The final round of talks on the Green Claims Directive was scheduled for 23 June, but the EPP had vowed to reject the legislation whatever the outcome.