Answer:
Dr. Constantin broke responsibility down by who consumers actually see it from:

▶ First in line: whoever communicates directly with the consumer — typically the retailer on a supermarket shelf.
▶Second in line: the manufacturer or brand owner who designs the packaging and provides the claim.
▶Also under pressure: traders and importers, which is why compliance questionnaires are now moving up and down supply chains.

He noted this is part of why retailers increasingly lean on robust certification schemes like SRP: a system they can point to when managing legal and reputational risk.

Answer: No. Trusti Widiastuti confirmed the SRP-Verified on-pack label uses the word “Verified,” not “sustainable” — distinct from the separate SRP organisational logo used off-pack. A few specifics she and Dr. Constantin added:

▶Generic wording like “sustainable” or “eco-friendly” has been removed from SRP’s approved claim texts, replaced with specific, verifiable statements tied to a Chain of Custody model (Identity Preserved, Segregation or Mass Balance).
▶EU law does allow generic words inside a label where it’s based on a compliant certification scheme — but since SRP’s label never used “sustainable” in the first place, that question doesn’t really arise for it.

Answer: Yes — Trusti confirmed brands and retailers are free to print the SRP QR code on pack. It currently leads to the SRP homepage and, from there, to a consumer landing page explaining what the SRP-Verified label means, how verification and RiceTrace work, and linking through to SRP’s core normative documents. Brands interested in adding the QR code to their packaging can reach out to the SRP communications team for support. Tun added that for detailed guidance on communicating claims, members should refer to the SRP Brand Manual and Claims Guidelines v2.0 on the SRP website.

Answer: Not explicitly, said Dr. Constantin — EmpCo doesn’t spell out a requirement for a QR code or web link. But he considers it strongly advisable: SRP’s Brand Manual already points approved claim texts back to the SRP website, and based on how EU regulators tend to interpret these rules, he expects case law to move in that direction over time. His recommendation to members is to include a clear route to further information on pack regardless.

Answer: This distinction matters, Dr. Constantin explained. Because the SRP-Verified label itself carries no generic environmental claim, EmpCo’s generic-claim rule doesn’t apply to the label content — SRP’s approved claim texts are treated as specific claims under ordinary advertising law. For a company’s own generic claims (like “sustainable” or “climate-friendly”), though, EmpCo requires the explanation to sit in clear, prominent terms on the same medium as the claim itself — a link to a separate website generally isn’t considered sufficient. His practical advice: avoid generic words unless you can explain them right next to the claim, and if you must use them, give a concrete explanation immediately alongside.

Peter McAllister added an important clarification on scope:

▶SRP itself shouldn’t be read as substantiating specific numerical claims — a “50% emission reduction” or “30% water saving” — as a blanket figure; those results depend on context: production system, country and the specific practices applied.
▶SRP provides the framework, but companies using SRP-Verified rice still need to gather and hold their own evidence, often together with partners and farmers.
▶SRP would not endorse a project-specific figure being presented as a generic, universal result.

Trusti added that every use of the SRP-Verified label and any related claim goes through SRP’s label-and-claim assessment process, checking both the artwork and that the product genuinely traces to SRP-Verified producers

Answer: Dr. Constantin drew a distinction between the organisation’s name and logo and the on-pack SRP-Verified label, which doesn’t spell out “sustainable” and instead uses the abbreviation “SRP” alongside “Verified.” He noted that EmpCo’s definition of a generic environmental claim generally excludes terms that are part of a label based on a genuine certification scheme. Peter added a risk-management perspective: absolute words like “sustainable” invite scrutiny of a product’s entire lifecycle, which is why SRP is comfortable describing its work as “working towards sustainable rice” while staying cautious about making absolute sustainability claims at product level. Dr. Constantin closed this point by flagging words like “sustainable,” “neutral” and “responsible” as ones that tend to draw attention from regulators and NGOs, and suggested it’s generally easier to avoid them on pack than to change packaging later.

Answer: Dr. Constantin’s view was that EmpCo’s generic-claim rules only bite when a claim is actually generic — and SRP’s approved, specific claim wording (for example, referencing the Mass Balance model) sits outside that provision, governed instead by long-standing general advertising law. In short:

▶Caution is warranted for genuinely generic or borderline wording.
▶There’s no need to wait purely because of EmpCo when using SRP’s specific, approved claims.
▶Companies can also approach national authorities directly with draft claim wording for informal feedback.

Peter noted that SRP has commissioned legal advice from Dr. Constantin’s firm and translated it into updated guidance, a strengthened consumer information page and internal review processes — but was clear that nothing shared in the webinar should be taken as case-specific legal advice, and that each company should work with its own legal counsel on final wording, with SRP available to support with system-level context.

Answer: Trusti shared that SRP is preparing its consumer-facing page in around eight European languages, including German, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Polish, Finnish and Danish, and is looking for native-speaker volunteers from the community to help proof-read for accuracy.

Throughout, speakers were consistent on one point: these are summaries of a discussion, not formal or case-specific legal advice, and members should pair SRP’s materials with their own legal counsel when finalising claims.