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E-COMMERCE GUIDE

The EU Green Claims Directive just changed the rules: Is your store ready for EmpCo?

From 27 September 2026, a new EU consumer rule changes how Nordic online stores can talk about green claims. It also changes what they must show about product guarantees.

The rules apply to any merchant selling to EU shoppers, even if the brand is based outside the bloc. What matters is who the marketing targets, not where the company is registered. This is part of EmpCo, the nickname for the EU Green Claims Directive. It is meant to cut greenwashing.

What is EmpCo?

EmpCo means Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition. It is Directive (EU) 2024/825. It does not replace older consumer law. It adds new rules to the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive. These rules cover green marketing and clear guarantee info.

Claims that may need to go

Regulators are removing vague eco words that you cannot prove. Watch for:

  • Words like eco-friendly, green, sustainable, or carbon neutral when you lack proof
  • Green seals or badges that do not point to a real certifier
  • Claims based only on carbon offsets
  • A normal product feature or legal duty sold as an eco win

None of this bans green claims. It bans claims you cannot prove. Before the deadline, review product pages, ads, pack copy, and email. Keep the certificate, test, or method notes for each claim.

Shopify apps that can help

A few tools can help with a first pass:

  • EU Green Claims & EmpCo Check: scans a store for risky claims.
  • EcoClaim: a free scanner (works on Shopify, WooCommerce, or Wix) that checks stores against banned terms.
  • Lowlands GARAN Guarantee Label: handles both the legal-guarantee notice and the GARAN label in all 24 EU languages, with a free plan for the notice and paid tiers for GARAN volume.

Two required notices

Under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960, EmpCo sets one fixed format for guarantee info, using official Commission artwork you cannot redraw or reword.

The legal-guarantee notice tells shoppers that goods bought in the EU already carry a minimum two-year guarantee for defects, an existing right, not a new one, that now needs clear, standard disclosure. Show it in a general spot on the storefront, such as a footer, page, or banner (checkout isn't required), and attach it to the order confirmation rather than just linking it.

The GARAN durability label only comes into play when a producer voluntarily offers a free guarantee covering the whole product for more than two years, think appliances or watches, not clothes. Where it applies, it belongs on the product page before purchase and again in the confirmation email, with only three fields open to change: guarantee length, brand, and model.

It follows the shipping address, not the seller

An order shipped to any EU-27 country triggers these rules. It does not matter where the merchant is based or where the order ships from.

For Norway specifically: EmpCo is EEA-relevant, so it's expected to extend there too. As of now, though, it hasn't been incorporated into the EEA Agreement, so there's no confirmed effective date for Norway. Merchants selling into Norway should treat the EU-27 rules as the template to follow but shouldn't assume the 27 September 2026 deadline applies there yet.

Who needs to act

  • Marketing and brand: review and fix green claims across every channel.
  • E-commerce and ops: put the guarantee notice on the site and add GARAN labels where needed.

Because both duties live on the merchant's own site and emails, a shipping partner cannot do this for you. It has to be done in-house or through the platform or app layer.

For PostNord merchants: if you ship to any EU-27 destination, treat 27 September 2026 as a hard stop. Start checking guarantee notices and green copy now.

Questions? Answers.

Does EmpCo apply to Nordic merchants outside the EU?

Yes. What matters is whether you sell to EU shoppers, not where your company is based. If you target EU shoppers or ship to any of the 27 member states, the rules apply.

Does EmpCo apply to Norway?

Not yet on a confirmed basis. The directive is EEA-relevant and expected to extend to Norway, but it hasn't been incorporated into the EEA Agreement, so no firm effective date exists there. Merchants selling into Norway should prepare along the same lines as the EU-27 but shouldn't assume the September 2026 deadline applies.

Are words like green or carbon neutral banned?

No. Claims are fine if they are specific, clear, and backed by proof such as certificates, test data, method notes, or trusted third-party records.

Where should the legal guarantee notice go?

Put it on the storefront in a clear, general spot, such as a footer, page, or banner. Also add it to the order confirmation. You do not need checkout placement.

When is the GARAN label required?

Only when a producer offers a free guarantee by choice that covers the whole product for more than two years. It must appear on the product page before purchase and again in the confirmation email. Only guarantee length, brand, and model can be changed.

Which teams should own this before 27 September 2026?

Marketing and brand handle green claims on product pages, ads, pack copy, and email. E-commerce and ops handle the legal guarantee notice and any GARAN labels on-site and in confirmation emails.