JUNE 2025

Dear ECOS subscriber,

This month, ECOS Members, Experts, and partners met in Brussels for our Network Days. Packed with stimulating exchanges, learning about standards, as well as networking. The two days were key in shaping priorities for the ECOS network. Many thanks to all of you who joined us in person and online!

Also in June, we partnered with ARSO, the African Organisation for Standardisation, to celebrate the African Day of Standardisation. Developing standards with environmental consideration can help to develop clean technologies, promote circularity, manage waste, or protect the natural ecosystems that produce raw materials – growing in importance for Africa and global trade. We are working with ARSO and local partners to strengthen environmental ambition and participation in standards-making.

This month we’re also celebrating new EU rules to make smartphones more sustainable, and we have voiced serious concern about the delays on the EU’s Green Claims Directive.

Celebrating the African Day of Standardisation

ECOS joined the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) and other key stakeholders to celebrate the African Day of Standardisation. ARSO and ECOS are working together to strengthen environmental ambition and participation in standards-making. What role do standards play in Africa? What are this year’s priorities?

Don’t scrap Green Claims Directive, NGOs say

European consumers need a strong Green Claims Directive to deter false claims, but concerning and unverified reports suggest the proposal is in jeopardy. If policymakers do not reach an ambitious agreement, greenwashing will continue.

Shaping the future of sustainable construction

In our latest briefing, we review recent and upcoming developments in EU policy and standards that are relevant to forestry, timber, and construction and explore the untapped potential of public procurement to drive demand for sustainable construction materials.

New EU design rules to make smartphones more sustainable

“Something we can really celebrate!” Speaking to the Financial Times, ECOS Senior Programme Manager, Mathieu Rama, said smartphones and tablets should “progressively last longer and be easier to repair”

In their thorough analysis of the new rules, Gazeta.pl [PL] also reported that the “Repairability Index and new energy labels are a breakthrough for the smartphone market”.

• Circularity, regeneration, and responsibility: Revising the EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy
• How to make electric vehicle chargers more reliable
• No excuse for destruction of unsold clothes – and no loopholes
• Member States fall short of steering the automotive industry on a circular path

More Portuguese beaches are zero pollution

ZERO has identified 81 ‘ZERO pollution’ beaches [PT] – an increase of 22 compared to 2024. These beaches are defined by back-to-back “excellent” Environment Agency rating for three years and where no microbiological contamination has been detected.

“Bee-friendly” plants contaminated by pesticides

BUND (Germany) recently tested 85 plants declared as "bee-friendly" and found that only three samples were free of pesticides. Over half contained pesticides that are toxic to wild bees [DE] and in some cases even substances that have long been banned in the EU.

Cooling as a human right: The hidden crisis of summer energy poverty

Energy poverty is no longer confined to wintertime hardship: summer energy poverty - when households cannot afford or access adequate cooling - is now emerging. Cool Heating Coalition spoke to policy expert and advocate Marine Cornelis to discuss this under-acknowledged public health crisis.

Over 90 countries reaffirm their ambition to end plastic pollution

Break Free From Plastic members and allies applaud the continued commitment to forge a binding, ambitious global treaty to end plastic pollution, which includes addressing the full life cycle of plastics, to protect human health and the environment.