1 July 2025: The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) reaffirms its support for the Green Claims Directive (GCD) and the Empowering Consumers Directive (ECD) and welcomes the European Commission’s recent decision not to withdraw the GCD proposal. These legislations are critical in the fight against greenwashing and ensuring that consumers have access to accurate, reliable, and verifiable information.

FSC, together with ISEAL, has contributed concrete feedback into the GCD and ECD discussions since their onset, with the aim of raising the bar for environmental claims and ensuring the provisions will work in practice. Together, the two proposals offer a powerful framework to ensure that environmental claims and labels placed on the EU market are trustworthy and transparent. Labels rooted in robust, independent certifications like FSC, support companies to enhance accountability and consumer trust.

“FSC supports the proposed legislation against greenwashing. Clear, accurate environmental claims empower consumers to make choices that truly drive positive environmental impact – something we all have a stake in,” said Ana-Maria Baban, Acting Commercial Director at FSC International.

“We call on the EU Institutions to reach a meaningful, balanced compromise that protects consumers, upholds environmental ambition, and tackles greenwashing. FSC is ready to support this process – through our own expertise, alignment, and in close cooperation with the ISEAL Alliance – and to support both companies’ compliance and consumers’ confidence,” added Matteo Mascolo, EU Affairs Lead at FSC International.

FSC is following the ongoing developments closely and believes that a credible agreement under the Danish Presidency by the end of 2025 remains within reach. This is essential not only for the integrity of the EU Green Deal but also to align with global priorities, including the UN’s call to fight greenwashing.