From 27 September 2026, every trader selling goods to consumers in the EU has to show two new pieces of standard information. This guide explains what they are, who is affected, where they go on a Shopify store and how to add them in a few minutes.
What the law says
Directive (EU) 2024/825, often called the EmpCo directive (“Empowering consumers for the green transition”), amends the Consumer Rights Directive and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. Two of its rules become mandatory on 27 September 2026:
- A harmonised notice on the legal guarantee of conformity. Consumers get a two-year legal guarantee on goods everywhere in the EU. From September, traders must remind them of it with a fixed EU notice, shown before the purchase.
- A harmonised label for commercial guarantees of durability. If the producer offers, free of charge, a guarantee of durability longer than two years, the product must carry the official label showing the duration. In German it is called the GARAN label, and the name has stuck.
The exact wording, colours and layout of both are fixed in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960. They cannot be redesigned, recoloured or paraphrased.
The same directive also bans generic environmental claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “climate neutral” unless the trader can prove them with recognised evidence.
Who is affected
- Any trader selling physical goods to consumers in an EU member state, whatever the platform and wherever the business is based.
- Not affected: pure B2B shops, services, and digital content. Second-hand goods are covered like new goods.
If your Shopify store ships to Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands or any other EU country, this applies to you.
Notice versus label: the difference that matters
| Legal guarantee notice | GARAN durability label | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | All goods sold to EU consumers | Only products with a free producer guarantee longer than 2 years |
| What it says | Reminder of the 2-year legal guarantee | The duration of the commercial guarantee |
| Where | Prominently before purchase: product page, cart or checkout path | Next to the product image |
| Per product? | No, general | Yes |
Most shops only need the notice. Furniture, tools, appliances, electronics and outdoor gear are the categories where producers commonly offer 5- or 10-year guarantees and the label kicks in.
Where it goes on a Shopify store
- Product pages. The safest place for the notice. The label, when required, sits next to the product image.
- Cart or checkout path. The notice must be visible before the contract is concluded; the cart page or a checkout information block satisfies “on the way to checkout”.
- Order confirmation. Not strictly required online, but including the notice in the confirmation email removes any argument about timing.
- Language. Show the version matching the storefront language. The Commission publishes all 24 official translations.
Enforcement
Enforcement is national. In Germany, competitors and consumer associations can send warning letters (Abmahnung) for missing legal information under unfair-competition law. Other member states rely on consumer-protection authorities, with fines that can reach a percentage of annual turnover for serious cases. A missing notice on 28 September will not trigger an automatic fine, but it is visible to anyone who looks, and the people who send warning letters look.
Two ways to comply on Shopify
1. Edit the theme yourself
Download the official artwork for each language you sell in, add a section or block to the product template, wire up a metafield for the guarantee duration, and write the logic that shows the GARAN label only on the right products. Then repeat for the cart page and for each theme you use. Budget an afternoon if you are comfortable with Liquid, and remember to update the files if the Commission revises a translation.
2. Install an app
An app such as Conforma: EU Guarantee Label adds the notice to product pages and footer in one click, uses the unaltered official artwork in all 24 languages, follows the storefront language automatically, lets you set guarantee durations per product or in bulk, and keeps a dated record of when everything went live. Setup takes about two minutes and there is a free plan.
Checklist
- Confirm you sell goods to EU consumers.
- Add the legal guarantee notice to product pages and the checkout path, in every storefront language.
- List products with a producer guarantee longer than two years. Add the GARAN label next to their images with the correct duration.
- Search product copy for generic green claims and remove or substantiate them.
- Keep a record of the date you went live.
- Re-check after any theme change.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need this if I only sell to the UK or the US? No. The rules apply to sales to consumers in the EU. If you sell to both, you need it for your EU markets.
Can I translate the notice myself? No. Use the official translations. Paraphrasing is the same as not showing it.
Does the label apply to my own store guarantee? The label covers commercial guarantees of durability offered by the producer. A seller’s own extended warranty is a different thing and is not shown with the GARAN label.
What if a product has several languages on one page? Show the notice in the language of the storefront the customer is viewing. Shopify Markets and the app handle this automatically.
This page summarises Directive (EU) 2024/825 and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 for information only. It is not legal advice.