Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan has criticised the EU Commission for scrapping laws associated with the practice of greenwashing.
The proposed law, first proposed in March 2023, would have legally compelled companies that operate in the European Union to be honest about whether their products were actually environmentally friendly or not.
Specifically, the legislation would have outlawed companies from claiming that their products were actually playing a part in fighting climate change.
Following pressure from the right-wing of the European Parliament, the EPP, the largest grouping in the European Parliament, pulled the plug on the law.
Fine Gael is a member of the centre-right EPP grouping, which is the largest grouping in the European Parliament with 188 seats.
The EPP has had to rely on support and listen to demands from parties to their right, such as the far-right ID or even further right ESN, to get laws passed.
Since the second Von Der Leyen adminsitration was installed in late 2024, it has worked with the far-right elements in the European Parliament to get its agenda over the line, notably on issues like migration.
Boylan called the decision by the European Commission “outrageous.”
“After months of negotiations, this law was supposed to be finalised next Monday. However, the EPP group, of which Fine Gael is part, suddenly pulled out the process, with the Commission itself following today, rather than going through the proper process for finding a way forward with laws,” Boylan explained.
“This backhanded move has stopped a law that would have ensured consumers who want to choose more sustainable products, and pay a premium for them, are not exploited and misled by greenwashing.”
The Sinn Féin MEP said if the law passed, itt would have also helped small businesses selling sustainable goods by stopping big corporations from “undercutting them with greenwashing.”
“It appears that rather than protecting consumers, the environment, and even sustainable businesses; Fine Gael, the EPP, and the EU commission would rather protect the profits of big corporations. The question they need to answer, is why?”