(14)Marketing across the Member States of goods as being identical when, in reality, they have a significantly different composition or significantly different characteristics could mislead consumers and cause them to take a transactional decision that they would not otherwise have taken. Such marketing practices are expressly addressed in Article 6(2), point (c), of Directive 2005/29/EC, introduced by Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council 10 that Member States have had to apply as of 28 May 2022. The Commission will assess and report in 2024 on the application of Directive (EU) 2019/2161, including Article 6(2), point (c), of Directive 2005/29/EC and whether those practices should be subject to more stringent requirements, including prohibition in Annex I. The new provisions against greenwashing practices in this Directive should also apply to such practices where versions of the same product are marketed as being identical in different Member States despite having significant differences as referred to in Article 6(2), point (c), of Directive 2005/29/EC.
Recital 14
- 10 Directive (EU) 2019/2161 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 amending Council Directive 93/13/EEC and Directives 98/6/EC, 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the better enforcement and modernisation of Union consumer protection rules ( OJ L 328, 18.12.2019, p. 7 ). ↩