Circular Economy Action Plan
The Circular Economy Action Plan was adopted by the Commission on 11 March 2020. Through streamlining of the regulatory framework, the plan aims at accelerating the transformational change required by the European Green Deal for achieving a cleaner, climate-neutral, resource-efficient and competitive economy. It builds on the 2015 Closing the Loop - Circular Economy Action Plan and has close links to numerous other EU strategies - Industry, Chemicals, Clean Energy - and the Climate Law.
The plan presents a set of interrelated initiatives to establish a coherent product policy framework that will make sustainable products, services and business models the norm and transform consumption patterns. Key product value chains will be addressed as a matter of priority. Further, measures will be put in place to reduce waste and to ensure a well-functioning internal market for high quality secondary raw materials.
The ENVI Committee intends to adopt an own initiative report on the plan by end 2020. In his draft report, the rapporteur emphasises the wins of the circular economy - environment, jobs and growth - and underlines inter alia that the Next Generation EU should be used to boost circular economy and the potential of digitalisation. He further points to a number of aspects covering the entire product cycle from product policy, key value chains and sectors to waste policy and he point to the key role of regional and local communities as well as EU's role globally.