EU EmpCo regulations
What are the EmpCo regulations about?
From 27th September 2026, the EU-wide regulation of the EmpCo regulations (“Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition”) will apply. These are intended to help consumers make purchasing decisions, particularly with regard to durability, repairability and the environmental footprint of products.
For you as a Kaufland Global Marketplace seller, this results in four specific areas of implementation.
Important: The EmpCo regulations contain not only information obligations, but also a ban on advertising for non-certified sustainability labels. Detailed information can be found in the last section of this article.
The four areas of implementation at a glance
| # | Topic | Who needs to take action? |
| 1 | Warranty label | Kaufland Global Marketplace will handle this for sellers |
| 2 | Guarantee label | Seller is responsible – for products with a free manufacturer guarantee >2 years |
| 3 | Software update cycle | Seller is responsible – for products with digital elements |
| 4 | Repairability information | Seller is responsible – for certain product categories |
You can enter all information manually in the Seller Portal, via CSV/XML file or Marketplace Seller API.
27th September 2026 (deadline): All labels are visible to customers on the product details page (PDP).
1. Warranty label
What is the warranty label?
The warranty label informs customers about the statutory minimum warranty of two years for new goods. It is a harmonised EU label that must be displayed in a uniform design on every product details page.
Which obligation from the EmpCo regulations does Kaufland Global Marketplace implement on behalf of sellers?
Since the format of the warranty is legally prescribed and applies equally to all B2C goods sales, Kaufland Global Marketplace provides the label automatically on all relevant product detail pages – in the respective national language and in the officially prescribed EU design. You do not need to configure anything, maintain any data or make any adjustments to your offers for this.
What do you need to do in your role as a seller?
Regarding the warranty label, you do not have any further actions to take.
2. Guarantee label
What is the guarantee label?
Unlike the warranty label, the guarantee label refers to voluntary, free-of-charge manufacturer guarantees – i.e. guarantee promises that extend beyond the statutory two years (e.g. a 5-year manufacturer guarantee on an electrical appliance).
When does the label apply?
For the label to be valid, three conditions must be met simultaneously. The guarantee must
The seller’s own guarantee promises or paid additional guarantees are not covered by the label. These must continue to be included exclusively in your General Terms and Conditions (GTC).
What do you need to do in your role as a seller?
As a Kaufland Global Marketplace seller, you are responsible for checking whether your products have a corresponding manufacturer guarantee and for stating this correctly in your offers.
You can adjust the manufacturer warranty directly in your offers – not in the product data. This prevents a manufacturer guarantee from being incorrectly displayed for your offer if, for example, you are not an authorised specialist seller for the respective brand.
The final warranty label consists of three details:
| Field | Attribute | Source |
| Brand | Manufacturer | Product data |
| Model designation | mpn | Product data |
| Warranty period in years | manufacturer_guarantee_years | Offer data |
Important: If one of the three fields is incomplete, the label will not be displayed on the product details page (PDP) – incomplete information is legally inadmissible.
How to enter the warranty period
In the Seller Portal
Product data (brand and manufacturer number):
You maintain both attributes as usual in the product data. These are free-text fields:
- manufacturer – manufacturer brand
- mpn – manufacturer part number/model designation
Offer data (warranty period):
You enter the warranty period on the offer detail page in the Compliance tab under EU regulations
Via CSV/XML file
Product data: The attributes are transmitted together with your other product data in the product data feed.
ean,manufacturer,mpn
4009750243800,Apple,MLVE3ZD/A
Offer data: The field manufacturer_guarantee_years is optional and expects an integer. The following values are possible:
| Amount | Meaning |
| (empty) | Leave current value unchanged |
| 0 | Delete value |
| 1 – 99 | Set value |
Documentation: Inventory Files
Via Marketplace Seller API
Offer data:
Endpoints: POST /units/, PATCH /units/{id_unit}, POST /units/bulk, GET /units/, GET /units/{id_unit}
Field: manufacturer_guarantee_years
{
"manufacturer_guarantee_years": 3
}
Documentation: Units Endpoints
Product data:
{
"ean": [
"4009750243800"
],
"attributes": {
"manufacturer": [
"Apple"
],
"mpn": [
"MLVE3ZD/A"
]
}
}
This is what it looks like for customers
Web:
App:
QR code: The QR code on the label refers to the official European Commission information page on commercial guarantees of durability: europa.eu – Commercial guarantee of durability
3. Software Update Cycle
What is it about?
For products with digital elements, customers must be informed about how long the manufacturer provides software updates. This creates transparency regarding the actual service life of a product.
For which products does the software update cycle information apply?
The disclosure obligation concerns products that contain software or digital services – typical examples are smart TVs, smartwatches, smartphones, routers, home appliances or connected toys. The obligation does not apply to purely analogue products (classic textiles, furniture without digital components, etc.).
The attributes are available to you for all product types, so that you can provide the information wherever it is required.
What do you need to do in your role as a seller?
To specify the software update cycle for your products, you must add the following attributes to the product data:
- software_update_cycle_duration: An integer attribute that requires the number of years as input. The word “years” is automatically added by the system in the respective national language. e.g.:
- software_update_cycle_date: A date by which the software update must be provided. The word “until” is automatically added by the system in the respective national language. E.g.: “until 01/08/2027”
Note: If both fields are completed, only software_update_cycle_duration is taken into account, as this provides better protection against outdated information.
The attributes can be entered as usual manually in the Seller Portal, via CSV/XML file, or Marketplace Seller API.
In the Seller Portal
The information is provided via the existing channels in the product data. These are merely two additional attributes.
Via CSV/XML file
The data is transmitted together with your other product data in the product data feed.
- software_update_cycle_duration – integer (years)
- software_update_cycle_date – Datum
ean,software_update_cycle_duration,software_update_cycle_date
4009750243800,5,31.08.2031
Via Marketplace Seller API
{
"ean": [
"4009750243800"
],
"attributes": {
"software_update_cycle_duration": [
5
],
"software_update_cycle_date": [
"2031-08-31"
]
}
}
This is what it looks like for customers
4. Repairability information
What is repairability information?
Customers should be able to assess how easily a product can be repaired before they make a purchase. To this end, you provide specific information regarding the repair.
When does this apply?
The information is required, provided that the manufacturer makes corresponding information available to you.
In particular, this includes:
- Repair costs
- Ordering options for spare parts
- Availability of repair services
- Restrictions on repair
What do you need to do in your role as a seller?
The information is provided via the attribute repairability_information in the product data. This is an open text field without a fixed format specification.
Enter the repair information provided by the manufacturer there.
Example of an entry: Spare parts can be ordered via the manufacturer shop, availability 7 years from date of purchase. Repairs only by authorised service partners. Repair instructions available online.
How to enter the information
The attribute can be entered as usual manually in the Seller Portal, via CSV/XML file or Marketplace Seller API.
In the Seller Portal
The information is provided via the existing channels in the product data.
Via CSV/XML file
The data is transmitted together with your other product data in the product data feed.
- repairability_information – Free text
ean,repairability_information
4009750243800,"Spare parts can be ordered via the manufacturer’s shop, available for 7 years. Repairs only by authorised service partners."
Via Marketplace Seller API
{
"ean": [
"4009750243800"
],
"attributes": {
"repairability_information": [
"Spare parts can be ordered via the manufacturer's shop, available for 7 years. Repairs only by authorised service partners."
]
}
}
This is what it looks like for customers
The repairability information appears on the PDP in the “Safety instructions & info” section under the heading “Repairability information”.
Important: Advertising ban for non-certified sustainability labels
The EmpCo regulations go beyond the mere duty to provide information: they expressly prohibit advertising with non-certified sustainability and environmental labels – a central EU instrument against greenwashing.
This has direct implications for how you may present your products on the Kaufland marketplaces.
What is prohibited?
What is permitted?
Do not upload labels in product images for which there is no official certification. Your own warranty promises belong in the GTCs, not in the image.
In the event of infringements, you risk warnings from competitors and official sanctions. Kaufland Global Marketplace reserves the right to hide affected offers after review.
What you need to do now:
- Check product range: Which products have a free two-year manufacturer warranty? Which products have digital elements? Which products fall under the repairability obligation?
- Check MPN: Is the mpn attribute populated for all products with a manufacturer warranty? Without an MPN, the warranty label will not appear.
- Check product images: Do your images contain labels or statements that fall under the advertising ban? If so, remove them or replace them with officially certified evidence.
- Involve software partner: If you are connected to Kaufland Global Marketplace via middleware or an ERP integration, speak to your partner early on about the necessary API adjustments.
- Check GTCs: Ensure that your own warranty terms are correct and complete – they must only be entered there.
- Regularly check this page: The technical details regarding field names, screenshots and API adjustments are being continuously expanded.