Form 941 Quarterly Payroll Tax Return Due (Q3)
Why this matters.
Directive (EU) 2024/825 on Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (often called the ECGT Directive) amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive 2005/29/EC and the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU. Member States had to transpose it by 27 March 2026 and apply the new rules from 27 September 2026, so they now apply to anyone selling to consumers in the EU, including small online shops and freelancers selling products or services. The Directive adds new practices to the UCPD blacklist that are banned in all circumstances: generic environmental claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “climate friendly” unless you can show recognised excellent environmental performance; claiming a whole product or business is green when only one aspect is; claiming a product is climate neutral or has a reduced impact because of carbon offsetting; sustainability labels that are not based on a certification scheme or set by a public authority; and presenting legal requirements as a special feature of your offer. Claims about future environmental performance, such as “net zero by 2035”, must be backed by a detailed, realistic and publicly available plan checked by an independent expert.
The Directive also targets early obsolescence: it bans hiding the effect of software updates on how a product works, unproven durability claims and pushing consumers to replace consumables sooner than needed, and it adds new pre-contract information about durability, repairs and software updates to the Consumer Rights Directive. Breaches are enforced by national consumer authorities, and under Article 13 of the UCPD as amended by the Omnibus Directive (EU) 2019/2161, fines for widespread infringements must reach at least 4% of annual turnover in the Member States concerned, or €2 million where turnover data is unavailable. Competitors and consumer groups can also act. This check helps you spot risky claims before they reach your website, packaging or ads.
