On 19 February 2026, the Third Act amending the Act against Unfair Competition of 12 February 2026 was promulgated (Federal Law Gazette 2026 I No. 43). It implements Directive (EU) 2024/825 and parts of Directive (EU) 2023/2673 on distance contracts for financial services.
Changes: new definitions in Section 2 UWG (environmental claim, sustainability label, certification scheme, durability); environmental, social and circularity aspects as main characteristics; new misleading practices for irrelevant benefits and future claims without a plan; transparency duties for comparison services; new blacklist items (nos. 2a, 4a, 4b, 4c, 10a, 23d); amended fines.
Timing: essentially from 27 September 2026; new Section 5(6) UWG on financial services information already from 19 June 2026.
