{"id":30142,"date":"2025-12-09T09:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T07:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/?p=30142"},"modified":"2025-12-09T11:43:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T09:43:21","slug":"empco-directive-risks-for-trademarks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/empco-directive-risks-for-trademarks\/","title":{"rendered":"EmpCo directive: risks for trademarks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull v4-pattern-hero v4-pattern-hero--post is-style-background-blend is-style-arrow has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull v4-pattern-hero__cover\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);min-height:75vh;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"5e9834\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" sizes=\"auto, 100vw\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-30135 size-large not-transparent\" alt=\"EmpCo-Richtlinie: Risiken f\u00fcr Marken, Markenrecht, Wettbewerbsrecht, Rechtsanwalt, Umweltaussage\" src=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-1024x576.jpg\" style=\"--dominant-color: #5e9834; object-position:49% 9%\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" data-object-position=\"49% 9%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/EmpCo-Richtlinie-Risiken-fuer-Marken-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" \/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-base-background-color has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div style=\"height:5em\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1d4b5d69 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-19e250f3 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<h1 id=\"multirow-headline-block_485442c07592b51dbc1b50efb9e69f3b\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-huge-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">EmpCo directive:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-gigantic-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:15%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">Risks for<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color has-gigantic-font-size wp-elements-a07e6adc2ee35c03d8dc8168caf306e1\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\"><span class=\"v4-marker-highlight-background\">trademarks<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/h1>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-small-font-size is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-76c96157 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);margin-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase\"><div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:300;text-transform:uppercase;\" class=\"wp-block-post-date has-small-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2025-12-09T09:10:00+02:00\">9. December 2025<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p>from<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:600;\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\">Clemens Pfitzer<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-c93ec0be wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>Trademarks such as &#8220;EcoClean&#8221;, &#8220;GreenTech&#8221; or &#8220;BioNatur&#8221; may sound good and sell well. But when the EmpCo Directive comes into force on September 27, 2026, an explosive question arises: will your own brand name suddenly become a problem under competition law? <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-background-to-the-empco-directive\">Background to the EmpCo Directive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/thema\/empco-richtlinie\/\">EmpCo Directive<\/a> contains strict rules on environmental claims to combat <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/thema\/greenwashing-und-bluewashing\/\">greenwashing <\/a>. The term &#8220;environmental claim&#8221; is deliberately defined broadly. Not only classic advertising slogans are covered, but also explicitly trademarks, company names and product names. This results in considerable legal uncertainties for trademark owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-does-that-mean-in-concrete-terms\">What does that mean in concrete terms?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The definition of &#8220;environmental claim&#8221; in the directive includes &#8220;representations by means of text, images, graphic elements or symbols such as labels, brand names, company names or product names&#8221;. This means that a brand name can also be an environmental claim &#8211; and therefore subject to the new strict requirements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The German draft bill for implementation in the UWG adopts this broad definition. In future, a green design of a brand name or a company name with an ecological reference alone could therefore be considered an environmental statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-is-a-trademark-an-environmental-statement\">When is a trademark an environmental statement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the problem: the directive does not provide any clear criteria. There are no official guidelines on when a brand name qualifies as an environmental claim. Although there are <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/faqs-from-the-eu-commission-on-the-empco-directive\/\">FAQs from the EU Commission<\/a>, these also leave many questions unanswered. This uncertainty affects various groups of cases:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clear-cases\">Clear cases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cases in which brand names contain explicit environmental terms appear relatively clear. Trademarks such as &#8220;GreenClean&#8221;, &#8220;EcoPlus&#8221;, &#8220;BioNatur&#8221; or &#8220;KlimaNeutral&#8221; are likely to qualify as general environmental claims according to the wording of the Directive. Such trademarks directly suggest positive environmental characteristics and are therefore subject to the new substantiation and proof requirements.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-difficult-borderline-cases\">The difficult borderline cases<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the numerous borderline cases are much more problematic:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-arrow\">\n<li><strong>Ambiguous brand names: <\/strong>What applies to trademarks that can have both an environmental statement and another, non-environmental meaning? A brand name such as &#8220;Natura&#8221; could refer to natural ingredients, but could also simply function as a fantasy name. The same applies to terms such as &#8220;Pure&#8221;, &#8220;Fresh&#8221; or &#8220;Clean&#8221;, which can be understood as either environmentally related or purely descriptive, depending on the context.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Associative terms: <\/strong>What about trademarks that indirectly suggest environmental friendliness without explicitly saying so? Names that are reminiscent of nature, forests, oceans or animals could evoke ecological associations in consumers, even if they do not make a direct environmental statement. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Coloring and figurative marks: <\/strong>The directive also explicitly covers graphic elements. Green color schemes, leaves, trees or other nature symbols in the trademark logo could be considered an implicit environmental statement &#8211; even if the word element of the trademark has no environmental reference. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Historic trademarks: <\/strong>The situation is particularly tricky for trademarks that have existed for years or decades and whose original meaning had no environmental reference. A company that chose the name &#8220;Gr\u00fcnwald&#8221; 30 years ago could today be confronted with the accusation of making an environmental statement, even though the background to the name was completely different. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-tension-between-trademark-law-and-competition-law\">The tension between trademark law and competition law<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-registration-versus-use\">Registration versus use<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A trademark may be registered with the EUIPO or DPMA and still not be allowed to be used without further ado if its use violates the new greenwashing prohibitions. The Directive does not concern the registrability but the usability of trademarks. This means that registration does not automatically mean permission to use.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-no-exception-for-registered-trademarks\">No exception for registered trademarks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Directive does not provide for any privileges for registered trademarks. A trademark owner cannot rely on the fact that his trademark has been officially examined and registered. The trademark office does not check whether the trademark meets the requirements of <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/rechtsgebiet\/wettbewerbsrecht\/\">competition law <\/a>when registering it &#8211; this remains a separate legal issue.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-specific-risks-for-trademark-owners\">Specific risks for trademark owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-arrow\">\n<li><strong>Cease and desist letters and lawsuits under competition law<\/strong><br>From September 2026, <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/en\/topics\/competitor\/\">competitors <\/a>and competition and consumer protection associations will be able to attack the use of a trademark as unfair if it is deemed to be an unsubstantiated environmental statement. The implementation in the <a href=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/rechtsgebiet\/wettbewerbsrecht\/\">German Unfair Competition law<\/a> expands the &#8220;black list&#8221; of unfair commercial practices per se to include several new offenses relating to environmental claims. Violations can be prosecuted with claims for injunctive relief, removal and damages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Official sanctions<\/strong><br>The Member States are obliged to provide for effective sanctions. The German draft bill provides for an expansion of fines. Serious or repeated infringements could result in severe fines.  <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Investment losses<\/strong><br>Trademarks are often the result of considerable investment in development and maintenance. If an established trademark can no longer be used due to unfair competition law concerns, these investments can be devalued and the trademark can ultimately be canceled due to lack of use. Rebranding is costly and entails the risk of losing established market positions.  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-unresolved-questions-of-interpretation\">Unresolved questions of interpretation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The practical application of the EmpCo Directive to trademarks raises numerous questions of interpretation that neither the Directive itself nor the national draft transpositions to date have conclusively clarified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-arrow\">\n<li><strong>Standard of public perception: <\/strong><br>From whose perspective is it to be assessed whether a trademark constitutes an environmental statement? The Directive refers to the &#8220;average consumer&#8221;, but how exactly the average consumer perceives ambiguous trademarks is an open question and entails considerable legal uncertainty. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Context dependency: <\/strong><br>Can the same trademark make an environmental statement in one product segment and not in another? A &#8220;GreenTech&#8221; for gardening tools may be perceived differently than for software. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Burden of proof and evidence: <\/strong><br>How can a trademark owner prove that its trademark is <em>not<\/em> an environmental statement? Does he have to actively prove that consumers do not understand the name in an environmental sense? <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transitional arrangements: <\/strong><br>The German draft bill does not provide for any explicit transitional regulations for products with established trademarks that are already on the market. Industry associations are calling for corresponding regulations in order to avoid the destruction of products and packaging materials. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-recommendations-for-trademark-owners\">Recommendations for trademark owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In view of the remaining legal uncertainty, trademark owners should act proactively now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-arrow\">\n<li><strong>Brand portfolio audit: <\/strong><br>Check your entire brand portfolio for potential environmental references &#8211; not just obvious terms such as &#8220;eco&#8221; or &#8220;green&#8221;, but also more subtle associations through color schemes, figurative marks and associative names.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Risk assessment: <\/strong><br>Categorize your trademarks according to risk potential. Trademarks with explicit environmental terms require immediate action; for borderline cases, monitor case law developments. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check substantiation: <\/strong><br>For trademarks that could be evaluated as environmental claims, check whether the suggested environmental properties can actually be proven. If this is not the case, alternatives must be developed. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Specification in communication: <\/strong><br>The Directive allows general environmental claims if they are specified &#8220;clearly and prominently&#8221; in the same medium. For trademarks, this could mean using accompanying explanations. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term trademark strategy: <\/strong><br>For new applications, careful consideration should be given to whether environment-related terms actually make sense or whether neutral fantasy trademarks represent the lower risk.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns v4-pattern-text-copy-half-col is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The EmpCo Directive is likely to cause considerable uncertainty for many trademark owners. They must fear that they will no longer be allowed to use their trademarks if they are understood as environmental statements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The numerous unresolved questions of interpretation are problematic, especially as it will take time for the courts to clarify this. As there is currently no transitional period, trademark owners cannot wait and see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new regulations therefore not only lead to considerable legal uncertainty, but also jeopardize the existence of many &#8211; sometimes well-known and valuable &#8211; trademarks.<br><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80)\">\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide v4-pattern-cta-box has-secondary-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-a7c0d175 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-right:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide are-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-ec2e7a44 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-bce6ca70 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-bottom:0;flex-basis:60%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignwide has-global-padding is-content-justification-right is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5c12a1d1 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n<div id=\"multirow-headline-block_9e18792355fb914dc6a8c35d6dc5c80b\" class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline alignwide\">\r\n    <div class=\"wp-block-visual4-multirow-headline\">\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:1;text-transform:uppercase\">We are happy to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-x-large-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:8%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">You are welcome to<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left has-huge-font-size\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-right:0;margin-bottom:0;margin-left:0%;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;font-style:normal;font-weight:1000;line-height:0.9;text-transform:uppercase\">EmpCo guideline!<\/p>\n\n<\/div> \r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-5c3c14bb wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-visual4-contact-modal__button\">\r\n            \r\n        <div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\r\n            \r\n\r\n<div class=\"wp-block-button v4-contact-modal-button is-style-fill\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\" data-form-id=\"8\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-contrast-color has-base-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-element-button\">Contact form<\/a><\/div>\r\n\r\n        <\/div>\r\n        \r\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-style-mobile-only is-content-justification-left is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-fc4fd283 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-arrow is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-base-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"tel:4971141019030\" style=\"padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Call now!<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column--image is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full v4-pattern-cta-box__columns-column__image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kpw.law\/wp-content\/themes\/kpw-law\/assets\/samples\/person-cropped.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-23155\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The EmpCo Directive leads to significant risks for trademarks and trademark owners if trademarks can be understood as environmental statements.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4904],"tags":[5983,5600,5599,5042,5213],"thema":[4895,4897],"rechtsgebiet":[4987,4898],"produkt":[5134,5001,4981,4900,4901,5775],"class_list":["post-30142","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","tag-empco","tag-environmental-statement","tag-sustainability","tag-trademark-en","tag-trademarks","thema-marke-en","thema-markenformen-en","rechtsgebiet-competition-law","rechtsgebiet-markenrecht-en","produkt-advice-on-competition-law","produkt-advice-on-trademark-law","produkt-defense-against-warning-letter-under-competition-law","produkt-markenanmeldung-en","produkt-markenrecherche-en","produkt-successfully-combating-competition-law-infringements"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized 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