Directive (EU) 2024/825 — the "Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition" directive — is the policy that drives the 2026 guarantee changes. It updates EU consumer law to fight greenwashing and make guarantee and durability information clearer and more visible.
What the Directive changes
The Directive amends existing consumer-protection law to give shoppers better information about their rights and about how long products are designed to last. Two ideas matter most for ecommerce: consumers should be clearly reminded of their legal guarantee of conformity, and, where a producer offers a meaningful guarantee of durability, that should be made visible at the point of sale rather than buried.
For online sales, the Directive describes the legal-guarantee reminder being placed prominently, as a general reminder on the trader's website — which is why guarantee information can no longer live only in the small print.
How it connects to Regulation (EU) 2025/1960
The Directive sets the what and why; the Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 supplies the how — the exact harmonised graphics traders must display (the Annex I notice and the Annex II durability label). The two work together, and both apply from 27 September 2026.
Why it was introduced
Part of the EU's broader Green Deal agenda, the Directive aims to reduce waste and greenwashing by helping consumers make informed, durability-conscious choices — and by ensuring that guarantee claims are presented honestly and consistently.
What it means for your store
In practice, compliance comes down to displaying the harmonised notice and, where relevant, the durability label — correctly, in the consumer's language, on the right pages. WarrantyARK automates exactly that for WooCommerce, in 24 EU languages.
Turn the Directive's requirements into a few minutes of setup
Run a free compliance check, or install WarrantyARK Connect for WooCommerce.
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This page is general information, not legal advice. Consult the official text of Directive (EU) 2024/825, and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960, or a qualified adviser, for how the rules apply to your business.