EU Greenwashing Crackdown: What Restaurant Chains Need to Know Before September 2026

If your restaurant chain uses words like "sustainable", "eco-friendly" or "climate neutral" on a menu, a takeaway box or a marketing campaign, the rules around what you can and can't say are changing fast. Consumer authorities across Europe are no longer content to issue polite warnings; fines are climbing into the millions, and the EU is about to harden the framework even further. Here's a look at how greenwashing is being penalised, country by country.

What counts as greenwashing?

In short, it's any claim that makes a product, packaging or business sound more environmentally friendly than it really is. That covers vague labels ("green", "eco"), promises that aren't backed by evidence ("carbon neutral"), self-made logos that look like official certifications, and claims about future net-zero goals with no real plan behind them. Across the EU, regulators are treating these as a form of misleading advertising — and that comes with consequences.

The EU framework, in short

The law that is moving ahead is the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive (EmpCo, Directive (EU) 2024/825). It has been in force since 27 March 2024, member states must transpose it by 27 March 2026, and it applies from 27 September 2026. (source)

From that date, generic terms like "eco-friendly", "green", "climate neutral" and "biodegradable" are banned unless you can prove recognised excellent environmental performance. Product-level climate claims based on carbon offsets are blacklisted outright, and sustainability labels must come from a certified, independently monitored scheme. The catch: enforcement under existing national consumer law is already biting hard.

A quick tour of who's watching

Foodservice and packaging brands are right in the firing line. In the UK, ads from major coffee brands have been banned for marketing capsules and bags as "compostable" without making clear they only break down in industrial composters — not in your customer's home compost bin. Germany's highest civil court has ruled that the word "climate neutral" on packaging is misleading unless the brand explains, on the same medium, exactly what it means — a QR code linking to a website won't cut it. Dutch regulators have forced national supermarket chains to drop "most sustainable" claims they couldn't substantiate, and have collected six- and seven-figure settlements from retailers and energy suppliers over vague eco-labels. Italian, French and Spanish authorities have pursued food and beverage producers, fast-fashion retailers and bottlers for unsubstantiated green claims, and the rest of the EU coordinates through the consumer-protection network. (source) Wherever you print a green claim on a coffee cup or a takeaway bag, someone in Europe is reading the small print.

What this means for your packaging claims

If your packaging carries any environmental message, here's what to keep in mind as the rules harmonise across Europe:

Be specific. "Made with 60% recycled cardboard, certified by FSC" is defensible. "Eco-friendly" on its own won't be from September 2026.

Back it up. Every quantified claim needs evidence on file — life-cycle data, certification numbers, third-party reports. Regulators (and competitors, in Germany) will ask.

Mind the logo. Self-made green badges that look like certifications are squarely in EmpCo's blacklist. Stick to recognised schemes like the EU Ecolabel, FSC, or PEFC.

Forget carbon-neutral product claims. Offset-based climate claims at the product level are banned outright. Talk about reductions you've actually made instead.

Localise carefully. A campaign that passes muster in Italy can still attract an injunction in Germany or the Netherlands. Translate the message — and check it against local case law.

The way forward

Greenwashing enforcement across the EU is moving from "maybe someday" to "already happening" — and 27 September 2026 will accelerate things further. The good news? Brands that genuinely invest in sustainable packaging have nothing to fear from clearer rules; if anything, they finally get a level playing field.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes on the environmental claims printed on your packaging — or you're rethinking your packaging strategy ahead of EmpCo — MBA Green has over a decade's worth of expertise in sustainable packaging. Trust us to help your business communicate its green credentials in a way that holds up across every European market.