New Circular Economy Action Plan supports a green future for Europe through the circular economy transition
A new Circular Economy Action Plan was adopted by the European Commission on 11 March as part of a policy package to support European industry and the European Green Deal.
The Action Plan aims to make the European economy fit for a green future, strengthen competitiveness while protecting the environment and give new rights to consumers. The new Plan focuses on the design and production for a circular economy, with the aim to ensure that the resources used are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible. The Plan notes that transition towards a circular economy is already underway, with frontrunner businesses, consumers and public authorities in Europe embracing this sustainable model. The Commission intends to make sure that the circular economy transition delivers opportunities for all.
The Action Plan links strongly to other policy documents published in the same week, particularly the Industrial Strategy and the SME Strategy. For the Industrial Strategy it has been noted that the sustainability challenge posed by key value chains requires urgent, comprehensive and coordinated actions. Those actions will contribute to the response to the climate emergency and will feed into the EU Industrial Strategy, as well as into the forthcoming biodiversity, Farm to Fork and forest strategies. The Action Plan also states that the new SME Strategy will foster circular industrial collaboration among SMEs building on training, advice under the Enterprise Europe Network on cluster collaboration, and on knowledge transfer via the European Resource Efficiency Knowledge Centre.
As part of the governance of the sectorial actions, the European Commission will cooperate closely with stakeholders in key value chains to identify barriers to the expansion of markets for circular products and ways to address those barriers. Building on the single market and the potential of digital technologies, the circular economy can strengthen the EU’s industrial base and foster business creation and entrepreneurship among SMEs.
Further information on the Circular Economy Action Plan can be found on the European Commission’s website here.
For more information on the Industrial Strategy and the SME Strategy see our news article here.