„Vegan"
UWG § 5 i.V.m. Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD i.d.F. EmpCo (EU 2024/825)
What does it mean?
'Vegan' means that a product contains no animal-derived ingredients and that no animal testing has taken place during development or production. The mere claim 'vegan' without corresponding evidence constitutes a misleading commercial practice pursuant to § 5 UWG in conjunction with Anhang I Nr. 4a UCPD (i.d.F. EmpCo) from 27 September 2026. Consumers expect a comprehensible basis for this statement. A recognised certificate such as the V-Label with licence number or a complete and correct list of ingredients (INCI) constitute sufficient evidence. The use of marketing labels without independent verification is legally risky.
Typical phrasings
- 'Vegan soya sauce'
- 'Vegan burger (without animal-derived components)'
- 'Vegan hand cream (without ingredients of animal origin)'
Required evidence
- EU Organic Logo (where applicable)
- V-Label (stating licence number)
- GOTS (for textiles)
- Complete and correct list of ingredients (INCI)
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."Empcora is a pure checking and documentation service and provides general information only on the legal situation based on the EmpCo Directive (EU 2024/825) and the unfair-competition / consumer-protection law transposing it in your jurisdiction including references. This is not individual legal advice and includes neither the rewriting nor the drafting of texts. No liability or warranty is assumed for the correctness, completeness or up-to-dateness of the analysis, nor for any legal consequences. The legal assessment of an individual case rests with an admitted law firm or lawyer.