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Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)NewsMeet the Speakers: Building Trust in Sustainability Claims: SRP’s Response to the EU EmpCo Directive | SRP Webinar, 20 August 2026

August 14, 2026

Meet the Speakers: Building Trust in Sustainability Claims: SRP’s Response to the EU EmpCo Directive | SRP Webinar, 20 August 2026

Starting 27 September 2026, the EU’s EmpCo Directive comes into force — and it will fundamentally change how brands can talk about sustainability. Broad, unverified claims like “eco-friendly” or “green” won’t hold up anymore unless they’re backed by evidence or independent third-party certification. Products already on the market aren’t exempt either — there’s no grandfathering clause.

For a global value chain like rice, connecting millions of farmers and countless supply chains, this shift is more than a compliance update. It’s a real test of whether existing verification and assurance systems can actually deliver on their promises.

To help SRP members and partners get ahead of this change, we’re hosting a live session — “Building Trust in Sustainability Claims: SRP’s Response to the EU EmpCo Directive” — on 20 August 2026, 2:00–3:00 PM (Thailand Time), featuring two leading voices from assurance and law.

Meet Our Speakers

Dr. Constantin Eikel — Partner, Bird & Bird LLP (Düsseldorf)

A veteran lawyer specializing in trademark, advertising, and unfair competition law, Dr. Eikel has built deep expertise specifically in environmental advertising law. He regularly advises companies on national and international sustainability campaigns, working through complex issues like the mass-balance approach, life-cycle assessments, renewable energy advertising, recycling claims, and carbon offset certificates. Having worked both as in-house counsel and external advisor, he brings a practical understanding of how businesses can manage legal risk without losing sight of what’s actually achievable. He’s also a regular contributor to publications on trademark and advertising law.

Trusti Widiastuti — Standards & Assurance Manager, Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)

Trusti Widiastuti is the Standards & Assurance Manager at the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), where she oversees the implementation and integrity of SRP’s standards, assurance and verification systems. Her work includes the SRP Assurance Scheme, oversight of Conformity Assessment Bodies, traceability and Chain of Custody requirements, and the application of SRP’s claims and labelling framework.

As part of SRP’s preparations for the EU’s evolving requirements on environmental claims, Trusti has been coordinating SRP’s assurance-related work to help ensure that SRP-Verified claims remain credible, transparent and supported by robust verification.

This isn’t a compliance lecture — it’s a working conversation that brings together the assurance side and the legal side of sustainability claims. The session is open to SRP members, partners, retailers, and anyone trying to understand where the bar for credible sustainability communication is heading.

Only for SRP members and retailers who register will receive the recording and materials afterward.

SRP members who haven’t received a registration link yet can reach out to Tun.boonyakongrat@srpglobal.org.
For any other questions, contact assurance@srpglobal.org.

Meet the Speakers: Building Trust in Sustainability Claims: SRP’s Response to the EU EmpCo Directive | SRP Webinar, 20 August 2026

Meet Our Speakers

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