The scale of the challenges to achieving a truly circular economy was highlighted on Wednesday 3 March at a policy dialogue with EU institutions organised by the European Policy Centre (EPC) on the first anniversary of the new EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy.
All participants agreed that the draft regulation on batteries and their waste, with its lifecycle approach, should be a source of inspiration for future legislation and the transformative changes required to save resources, achieve climate neutrality and combat pollution, while strengthening the EU’s industrial base and creating jobs.
Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Environment, Inês dos Santos Costa, considered the EU Action Plan to be ambitious in its sectoral approach to textiles and consumer goods.
However, “two sectors are missing that I would like to see discussed: transport and mobility; and steel and metallurgy”, she said.
Considering the proposed regulation on batteries to be very innovative, she said she hoped “it will serve as a foundation for all legislation”. A political debate of the European Environment Ministers will take place on 18 March.
However, the most transformative part, according to her, lies in cross-cutting action to integrate the circular economy into trade agreements, climate change mitigation policy, water policy and State Aid. “We will work to ensure that all sectoral policies are well-articulated”, she said.
She added, “despite pressure, focusing only on waste management and recycling would be dangerous. This is not the way we will achieve the circular economy”.
She warned against the temptation for Member States and companies to maintain the status quo, because “the real added value of the circular economy is the changes in economic and social structures to reduce the consumption of resources and energy”.
Florika Fink-Hooijer, Commission’s Director-General for Environment, said, “We hope that Member States will take up circular solutions in their recovery and resilience plans”.
Among the next initiatives, she cited: – the framework for sustainability policy and the Sustainable Products Initiative, to be deployed in sectors with high potential; – the revision of the Waste Shipment Regulation to avoid pollution in non-Member States and to create a market for quality secondary raw materials.
“The circular economy is not just about recycling, but about giving consumers the right to redress and bringing industry back to Europe”, said Jan Huitema, rapporteur to the European Parliament.
He recalled that Parliament wants minimum and binding targets for recycled content and reduction in the use of primary resources by 2030 and the creation of an attractive market for secondary raw materials (see EUROPE 12655/4, 12654/2). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)