„Socially responsible"
Annex I No. 2 UCPD as amended by EmpCo (EU 2024/825)
What does it mean?
The term 'socially responsible' is a generic environmental and social claim which, from 27 September 2026 onwards, is inadmissible without specific, verifiable evidence. The EmpCo Directive makes clear that blanket statements about social responsibility do not constitute reliable information and may therefore be misleading (§ 5 UWG). To advertise in a legally compliant manner, reference to a recognised standard such as the 'Anker Methodology' of the Global Living Wage Coalition, which defines a living wage (currently approx. 280 USD/month in Vietnam, as of 2024), is required. Alternatively, certificates such as Fairtrade or GOTS with explicit social criteria may serve as evidence. The mere claim 'socially responsible' without substantiation thus constitutes an infringement of the UWG and the EmpCo Directive.
Typical phrasings
- 'Socially responsible jeans'
- 'Socially produced T-shirts'
- 'Fair working conditions in our factories'
What you can write instead
'We pay a living wage according to the Anker Methodology of the Global Living Wage Coalition (Vietnam: 280 USD/month, as of 2024).'
Required evidence
- Fairtrade Social Premium
- Living Wage Employer Accreditation
- GOTS (with social criteria)
Rechtsgrundlage (Originalwortlaut)
Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (i.d.F. EmpCo) — generische Umweltaussage ohne anerkannte Nachweise
Quelle: Richtlinie (EU) 2024/825 (EmpCo) — verbindlich ist ausschließlich die im Amtsblatt der Europäischen Union veröffentlichte Fassung.
DEDeutsch (amtlich, DE-Fassung Amtsblatt)aufklappenzuklappen
„Treffen einer allgemeinen Umweltaussage, wobei der Gewerbetreibende die anerkannte hervorragende Umweltleistung, auf die sich die Aussage bezieht, nicht nachweisen kann."ENEnglish (Official Journal, EN version)aufklappenzuklappen
„Making a generic environmental claim for which the trader is not able to demonstrate recognised excellent environmental performance relevant to the claim."FRFrançais (Journal officiel, version FR)aufklappenzuklappen
„Présenter une allégation environnementale générique au sujet de laquelle le professionnel n'est pas en mesure de démontrer l'excellente performance environnementale reconnue en rapport avec l'allégation."NLNederlands (Publicatieblad, NL versie)aufklappenzuklappen
„Het maken van een generieke milieuclaim zonder dat de handelaar erkende voortreffelijke milieuprestaties kan aantonen die relevant zijn voor de claim."Does your website use „Socially responsible"?
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