Polski
Labels Can Wait, Limits Can't – What the Food Industry Needs to Know This Week
Poland's parliament (Sejm) is giving food producers a year's breathing room before the ban on greenwashing on food labels takes effect – but the penalties for misleading "eco" claims will still arrive eventually. Meanwhile, Ukraine is closing off duty-free EU exports for more product categories – good news for Polish farmers and processors fighting for market share. We look at what both developments mean for companies in the food, packaging, and retail sectors.
01 · Law & Labeling
One More Year to Say Goodbye to Unsubstantiated "Eco" Claims
On September 4, the Sejm passed an amendment pushing back the start date of the ban on greenwashing on food labels by twelve months – from the originally planned September 2027 [1]. The rules stem from the EU's EmpCo directive, which aims to put an end to labels slapping on claims like "eco" or "climate-friendly" without any certification to back them up. Once the new rules take effect, such claims will need to be genuinely documented, with violations punishable by fines of up to 10% of a company's turnover – a rate that turns what might look like a marketing detail into a real financial risk for entire organizations, not just their marketing departments.
For food producers, packaging designers, and compliance teams, this is a signal to treat the extra year as time to prepare, not as an excuse to put the issue off. It's worth reviewing label portfolios now for claims that would be hard to defend with certification, before that becomes a legal obligation. The bill now heads to the Senate, so the final shape of the regulations may still shift slightly, but the direction – an end to unsubstantiated "green" marketing – is already set.
02 · Trade & Export
Ukraine Loses Duty-Free Access to the EU Market
The second story of the week comes from data published by the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UKAB), showing that Ukraine has already used up nearly all of this year's EU tariff quotas for a number of agri-food products [2]. The quota for apple juice is 100% used, ethanol stands at 99.3%, and sugar corn at 95.1%. For poultry, exports have already reached around 70,000 tonnes over three quarters of the year. Once these thresholds are crossed, further shipments of the products in question to the EU become subject to duties, which meaningfully weakens the competitiveness of Ukrainian food on the EU market for the rest of the year.
This is significant news for Polish agri-food producers and processors, who have spent months contending with price pressure from cheaper imports across the eastern border. The closing of duty-free quotas in key categories – from juices to ethanol to poultry – could ease some of the pressure on the domestic market in the coming months and give local companies a bit of pricing breathing room. It's worth remembering, though, that the quotas reset with the new calendar year, so the relief may only be temporary.
Summary
Summary
This week illustrates two sides of the same coin: on one hand, regulation is giving the industry more time to adapt to new requirements; on the other, market trade mechanisms are starting to work in favor of domestic producers. Both stories are worth following, as they have a direct impact on labeling, marketing, and the price competitiveness of food products in the months ahead.
Want to talk about how these regulatory and trade changes affect your business? Join us at Global Food Expo – Międzynarodowe Targi Żywności i Przemysłu Spożywczego, where you'll meet producers, distributors, and experts who follow these issues every day.
Invitation
Changes in labeling regulations and international trade are part of everyday life in the food industry – and they're best discussed face-to-face with the people who navigate them. Visit Global Food Expo – Międzynarodowe Targi Żywności i Przemysłu Spożywczego and talk with producers, distributors, and experts in regulation and export. See how others are adapting their labels and sales strategies to the changing rules and market.
Global Food Expo 2026Footnotes
[1] Portal Spożywczy — https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/praca/wiadomosci/sejm-za-zakazem-greenwashingu-od-wrzesnia-2027-r-czy-biznes-moze-odpuscic,292650.html[2] Portal Spożywczy — https://www.portalspozywczy.pl/technologie/wiadomosci/ukraina-wyczerpala-unijny-limit-tego-produktu-nie-wysle-juz-bez-cla,293206.html