Welcome to Better Europe's weekly update on EU Affairs. EUROPE BIDS GOODBYE TO OFFSETTING CLAIMS BY EMPOWERING CONSUMERS With an overwhelming majority, the Parliament this week adopted the agreement on the Empowering Consumers Directive (ECD) aimed at combatting greenwashing (for EU nerds, it amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumers Rights Directive). The deal includes a ban on claims based on carbon offsetting and provisions to ensure that sustainability labels are based on a verified certification scheme. What does this mean in practice? As of 2026, when the rules are expected to apply, companies will no longer be allowed to claim that their products and/or services are “climate neutral” or “climate positive”. Companies can also no longer require consumers to replace parts or update software before it is…