'Organic' is a regulated term used to distinguish systems of managed production and products derived therefrom that adhere to principles of health, ecology, fairness and care, and which are certified compliant to an organic standard's regulations by an Approved Certification Body.
GOTS defines organic textiles as being made with fibres from organic agriculture systems that are certified to one of the IFOAM Family of Standards, and that are processed in socially and ecologically responsible ways, in alignment with organic principles.
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") ([GOTS](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/gots "The worldwide leading voluntary sustainability standard for the post-harvest textile value chain for certified organic fibres, covering environmental criteria, human rights, social criteria and business conduct.
")) applauds last week’s [vote](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240308IPR19001/parliament-wants-to-improve-consumer-protection-against-misleading-claims) by the European Parliament to ban unverified 'green' product labels by enforcing stricter rules to back green claims and labels. By obligating companies to submit evidence about environmental marketing claims – including advertising and labelling products as ‘biodegradable’, ‘less polluting’, ‘water saving’, or having ‘bio-based content’ – consumers will be able to make better informed decisions about the [sustainability](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/sustainability "In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
") of their purchases. Consumers need protection from [greenwashing](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/greenwashing "The practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice.
(Source: International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), 2016)
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") with constant progress towards the development of better textile processing methods. GOTS provides rules and tools for fostering responsible business practices and to support businesses to comply with domestic and international laws and beyond. The current [GOTS Version 7.0](https://gots.vorschau.website/news/gots-annual-pr-2023) includes rigorous criteria for the protection of human, employment and social rights, as well as the environment and climate. By being certified to GOTS 7.0 and selling GOTS-labelled goods, companies are demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and [human rights](https://gots.vorschau.website/resources/glossary/human-rights "Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination. (Source: Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations)
"). For more than two decades, GOTS, operated by non-profit Global Standard, has led the way in providing a comprehensive solution for businesses who want to embrace strictest criteria in environmentally responsible practices and human rights. Consumers purchasing certified products can be assured that these entities underwent the highest criteria of sustainable production. We are pleased that this directive also targets the proliferation of private environmental labels, requiring them to be reliable, transparent, independently verified, and regularly reviewed. We ask legislators to continue in this direction as the proposal goes into the ‘trilogue’, where the three European Union institutions – Commission, Parliament and Council – finalise the regulation. GOTS continues to monitor the implementation requirements.” [ Share this page ](#fs-toggle=share)