Ecopreneur.eu’s response to the new Circular Economy Action Plan
Ecopreneur.eu welcomes the ambitions and measures proposed in the new Circular Economy Action Plan, but misses 11 key elements to make sustainable products and services the new norm.

We particularly welcome the ambitions for green public procurement, scaling up from front-runners to mainstream players and doubling the circular material use rate by 2030; the right to repair, attention to design and reuse, and the proposed policies for products, textiles, construction, increased transparency and a European Data Space for Smart Circular Applications. However, we miss 11 measures including harmonised Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) with eco-modulation of fees, “Circular Hubs” in all member states, a role for green SMEs as front-runners to create a “race to the top", and a ban on landfilling.

Click here for a longer news item and here for our full response. 

Ecopreneur.eu and Low-carbon Circular Economy Advocacy Group met Timmermans Team

In February, an Ecopreneur.eu delegation including a member of the Board and four company members of the Low-carbon Circular Economy Advocacy Group, met with Diederik Samsom and Helena Braun from the Timmermans Team. 

Ecopreneur.eu stressed the need for circular procurement, both in the public and private sector, as a crucial tool to create demand for circular products and services. The lack of demand is one of three key barriers for green SMEs. In addition, setting standards for circular design can foster innovation if they are based on best practice examples from green SMEs and front-runners that are already successful on the market. Finally, adding minimum requirements for circular design to the Ecodesign Directive can help to open up markets and raise the bar by effectively banning the worst products from the market.

ECESP Circular Economy Breakfast in the European Parliament

In January, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) met with the European Parliament during a Circular Economy Breakfast. The meeting was an initiative of ECESP Coordination Group (CG) Members Arthur ten Wolde (Ecopreneur.eu), Jean-Pierre Schweitzer (European Environmental Bureau) and CG Chair Ladeja Godina Košir (Circular Change), and was hosted by MEPs Franc Bogovič, Bas Eickhout and Simona Bonafè.

Within an open dialogue three crucial elements to create a new economy were discussed: Economic incentives, Transparency and Just Transition Mechanisms. The main question that came forward was: how can we implement concrete measures to realise the European Green Deal with a low-carbon circular economy? Circular hubs (public-private-partnerships), strengthening green SMEs, and enhancing collaboration, were mentioned as powerful enablers. 

Click here for the news item from the ECESP and here for a longer news item by Ecopreneur.eu. 

Blog post series on the 5 Policy Pillars to create a circular fashion economy

Our permanent policy officer in Brussels, Josefine Koehler, is publishing a blog post series called “Policy instruments for a circular fashion economy”. Each blog dives deeper into one of the five policy pillars for creating a thriving circular fashion industry, as described in our Circular Fashion Advocacy Report, released in March 2019. Please find the four items already published below:

Intro: How a circular fashion economy can tackle climate change.

Pillar 1: Five ways innovation policies can accelerate circular fashion.

Pillar 2: Five economic incentives that can revolutionise the fashion sector.

Pillar 3: How can we create a strong regulatory framework for circular fashion?

Ecopreneur.eu recently published a research note “Circular Fashion and Textile Producing Countries: A first inventory of the potential impact of an EU circular fashion industry on non-European countries”. 

The European Green Deal and Circular Economy Action Plan are gearing up towards a low-carbon circular EU economy, with textiles as a priority sector. Since a large share of Europe’s apparel consumption is imported, a circular fashion system in Europe will also impact supplying countries such as China, Bangladesh, India and Cambodia. As developing economies they are exposed to more labour and human rights issues, lower overall operating costs and a larger environmental footprint than developed economies.

The outcome of this preliminary study suggests mostly positive impacts of EU circular textile policies on supplying third countries: A temporary economic downturn might be the cost of transition of leap-frogging to a circular model. 

However, to substantiate these preliminary outcomes, Ecopreneur.eu recommends more research and the development of an international agenda around the circular textiles transition that includes accompanying measures to avoid negative impacts and enhance positive ones. 

Chick here for a longer news item and here for the full document.