Marketing teams are often the source of the claims that later give compliance teams headaches. With the Empowering Consumers Directive, the playing field changes fundamentally: buzzwords in ad copy, generic eco-claims in newsletters, influencer posts with greenwashing — all of it now falls under the same rules as the website itself. We break down what’s actually changing.

Corporate groups communicate simultaneously across group websites, brand microsites, press releases, investor sections, and CSRD reports. This guide covers the most common compliance blind spots in multi-brand portfolios, the critical overlap with CSRD reporting, and the technical tooling approaches that make managing the required content volume actually feasible.

When the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) takes effect on 27 September 2026, significantly stricter rules will apply to environmental claims in e-commerce. Online shops, marketplaces and dropshipping operations are all affected. This article explains the most important changes, typical risk areas and concrete steps retailers need to take.

The Empowering Consumers Directive (EU) 2024/825), commonly known as EmpCo, is the European Union’s key legislative response to greenwashing. From 27 September 2026, it will apply across all 27 EU member states, introducing stricter requirements for environmental claims, sustainability labels, and product marketing.