EU Greenwashing Rules: Updated Guide Targets Tourism Claims

The EU's Empowering Consumers Directive, in force since 27 September 2026, now governs every environmental claim a destination, venue or event organiser directs at consumers — and three industry bodies have updated their practical guide to help the sector comply.

The European Travel Commission (ETC), the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) and NECSTouR published the new edition of Proof, Not Promises: A Practical Guide to the EU Empowering Consumers Directive for Destinations. It replaces the first edition from April 2026 and reflects a year of consulting work with city and national tourism organisations, sustainability storytelling masterclasses, and discussions with the European Union, industry associations and partners, alongside updated legal analysis.

What does the directive actually require?

The directive — (EU) 2024/825, known as EmpCo — requires environmental claims to be clear, specific and supported by evidence. The rules cover labels, visuals and branding as well as written statements.

The updated guide adds a section on national implementation, and the picture is uneven. Some member states have folded the new rules into existing consumer protection law. Others have spread them across separate laws covering consumer protection, contracts, advertising and unfair competition. Poland has adopted its legislation but will apply it only from 27 September 2027. The status of five countries remains unconfirmed.

Who counts as a trader?

The guide clarifies scope on two fronts:

• EmpCo covers communication aimed at consumers. Corporate reporting and investor communications generally fall outside it — unless reused in marketing.
• Public status brings no automatic exemption. A destination marketing organisation (DMO) or other public body that sells or markets tourism products to visitors may qualify as a trader.

That places national tourism organisations, DMOs, convention bureaux, venues, tourism businesses and event organisers squarely inside the rules' reach.

Climate claims and certification

A revised section explains when claims such as "net zero" or "carbon neutral" are high-risk, and how the ban on claims based on offsetting works. It also sets out what future commitments require in order to remain credible.

On certification, the guide examines what makes a sustainability label credible, why independent verification and accreditation matter, and what to check when choosing a scheme. EmpCo does not require organisations to be certified — but it tightens the rules for labels and places greater weight on evidence.

The guide organises its advice around eight CREDIBLE principles — Clear, Restricted generic claims, Evidence-based, Defined, Independent verification, Beyond words, Legitimate commitments and Enforceable. These complement the 6 Steps to Credible Claims from the first edition: evaluate, define, substantiate, align, support and monitor. Together they help organisations assess their exposure, decide what can be said, substantiate claims, engage partners, build skills and keep communications under review.

No retreat into silence

The guide warns against greenhushing — organisations stopping communication of genuine progress for fear of getting it wrong. Instead, it encourages open communication with reliable evidence, plain language and transparency about both achievements and limitations. That burden falls jointly on sustainability, operations, data and marketing teams.

For Europe's destinations, the authors frame EmpCo as more than compliance: a chance to build skills, increase transparency and earn trust from visitors, partners and local communities. With Poland's 2027 start date and five national transpositions still unresolved, the compliance picture will keep shifting through the year ahead.