European Economic
and Social Committee
Environmental, social and health claims
Key points:
The EESC:
- invites the Commission to put forward European methodologies for measuring and communicating the overall environmental impact of products and services and to compile an inventory of official labels;
- hopes that the Commission will revise the guidelines facilitating consumers' and businesses' access to reliable and transparent information and will clarify the use of environmental, ethical and health-related claims in marketing communications;
- encourages Member States' consumer authorities to carry out a "sweep" of environmental, social, ethical and health-related claims, to be able to assess the situation today on the basis of real data;
- believes that the EU should equip itself with a coherent, comprehensive and consistent legal framework for regulating on-line marketing communications;
- calls on the European Commission and the Member States to develop initiatives for surveillance, monitoring and sanctions in relation to existing self-regulation and co-regulation schemes in the area of environmental, social and health-related claims.
Other relevant EESC Opinions:
- Unfair trading practices / supply chain (CESE 1697/2013 - INT/683)
- Misleading marketing practices (CESE 1233/2013 - INT/675)
- Misleading advertising (CESE 1352/2006 - INT/321)
For more information please contact the INT Section Secretariat.