Sunday, January 31, 2016

Concrete agreements and recommendations on the circular economy

Sustainable procurement, financial incentives, recycling materials and sharing best practices. This is just a handful of the topics discussed at a conference on opportunities for and obstacles to a European circular economy in Rotterdam on 25 and 26 January. 

The meeting ‘Unwrapping the package: towards a circular economy in Europe’ was co-hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and the European Commission and resulted in several concrete agreements and recommendations.

The Netherlands promotes a circular economy


The Netherlands Presidency is working to promote a circular economy in which raw materials and products are recycled as much as possible. On 25 January almost 400 participants, representing European companies, civil society organisations and public authorities, responded to a range of proposals published by the Commission in early December 2015, including a revision of EU waste legislation and a circular economy action plan. The Netherlands aims to get negotiations on a new waste package off to a good start and is working towards a common EU stance.

Inspirational best practices

Dozens of inspirational best practices from the public and private sectors were cited during the roundtable discussions, for example biodegradable packaging used by Mars Chocolate and the work being done by Kellogg’s to combat food waste. Participants from Austria discussed so-called repair cafés for electronic devices, while Michelin and Philips presented new business models for car tyres and lighting.

Financial incentives and other ways to stimulate the market

The roundtable discussions resulted in recommendations on:
sustainable procurement
financial incentives
the wise use of natural capital
stimulating the market for recycled materials.

The circular economy depends on measures at local, national and European level. Cooperation between member states and with the European Commission can increase uniformity, for example in carrying out waste legislation and setting rules on waste and chemicals.

National and European measures

On day two of the meeting, policymakers from EU member states and the Commission discussed the national and European measures proposed by the Commission in December 2015. During this discussion member states described their own experiences. For example, France is at the forefront of encouraging circular design and production. The United Kingdom has launched a public-private partnership to combat food waste, while Denmark and the Netherlands are promoting the circular economy through procurement policy.

Input for Environment Council meeting on 4 March

The meeting was closed by representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment and the government of Slovakia, which will take over the Presidency from the Netherlands on 1 July. They stressed the importance of effective collaboration between the Commission and the member states in the long term. The Netherlands will use the outcome as input for various talks with European ministers on the Commission’s proposals, including the Environment Council meeting on 4 March.

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