European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform

Rare earth elements are strategically important for the EU to sustain and accelerate its green and digital transition, particularly due to their use in permanent magnets. Rare earth permanent magnets are critical components in wind turbines and electric vehicles, as well as home appliances and consumer electronics.

However, faced with an expected surge in demand, limited domestic manufacturing capacity, high import dependency and rising geopolitical tensions, the EU’s ability to meet the future demand for rare earth magnets is at risk.

This report examines the barriers hindering the establishment of a viable magnet recycling chain in the EU, whilst estimating the extent to which recycling could offset the coming increase in demand for rare earth magnets.

The EU Interreg 2 Seas project FACET focuses on implementing circular solutions in the tourism and leisure sectors.

The circular economy is about migrating from the current business-as-usual linear system of production and consumption toward a system that focuses on valorising and circulating resources for environmental,  social,  and economic sustainability.  

This white paper proposes a  six-step framework for local authorities in their efforts to accelerate the transition to a circular economy.

This framework builds upon the experiences of the FACET project, which has accelerated the implementation of circular solutions in four local areas in the 2 Seas regions, as well as other existing literature and past European projects.

Plastic is used in many ways and in large quantities across Europe. Environmental concerns make this a key focus for policy. Currently, most policy actions focus on plastic packaging, even though a large proportion of plastics are used for non-packaging applications, such as construction, furniture and consumer electronics.

Improved reporting on the flows of non-packaging plastics is needed to inform the development of effective policies and measures that target this significant waste stream and increase resource efficiency, in line with the aims of the Circular Economy Action Plan.

At the request of the European Commission, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced EU country profiles that offer an updated view of circular economy policies being implemented at a national level, with a particular focus on elements that go beyond EU mandatory elements, and best practice with a focus on policy innovation.

While implementing the EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP 2020), Member States are encouraged to advance circularity at a national level by adopting policies and initiatives that go beyond EU regulations, while preserving the Single Market.

These circular economy country profiles are based on information reported by the Eionet network and, particularly, its Group on Circular Economy and Resource Use in the second quarter of 2022.

Repair is one of the key circularity strategies, which can lead to extended product use and efficiency, reduced consumption of natural resources and materials, and minimizing the production of waste.

The importance of this sector has been acknowledged in several of the European Commission’s strategic documents, such as the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan.

The aim of this report is to consolidate and advance the existing knowledge, and provide an evidence-based update on the status of the repair sector in Europe. The study focuses on three key product groups:

1. electrical and electrical equipment (EEE),
2. clothing and
3. furniture,

and provides an overview of the value, size, challenges and opportunities of current repair activities in these sectors.

Flexible plastics are used in many applications today and volumes have increased significantly over the last few decades. The major application area is packaging where, due to their light weight, they play an important role in preventing perishable products from degrading and in lowering the carbon footprint of transport.

However, their potential for reuse is limited and most applications of flexible plastics are single-use, so they represent a waste of resources. At end of life, they are often carelessly discarded causing litter in marine and terrestrial environments, and they have a range of issues that complicate recycling.

The report tells the story of flexible plastics, their main uses and current management options, and looks at their place in a European circular economy.

Buildings are important in EU environmental and climate policy for several reasons, including their greenhouse gas emissions and high consumption of material resources. Improved design and building techniques will produce highly efficient new buildings, but more than 85 % of today's buildings are likely to still be in use in 2050.

This briefing examines potential renovation activities that could improve the sustainability of existing buildings and the implications for embedded greenhouse gas emissions and resource use.

Establishing an EU circular economy calls for a transformation of Europe’s production/consumption systems. Production systems respond to and shape consumer demand through the products offered and how they are marketed. Informed consumer choices can potentially shape decisions made by producers upstream and downstream in product supply chains.

This briefing explores how policy can enable more circular economy-consistent consumer behaviour by understanding the factors influencing it.

The study aims at raising awareness among practitioners and policymakers of the concept of 'circular taxation' and of its potential to provide the incentives needed to step away from the wasteful linear economy and contribute to the shift to a circular economy which operates within planetary boundaries.

1. The report proposes a definition of circular taxation differentiating it from traditional approaches to environmental taxes.
2. Four case studies of environmental taxes are considered to establish if they have elements that would be expected of circular taxation, and to seek to learn lessons for the application of circular taxation.
3. Recommendations are presented on the implementation of circular taxation and on the possible uses of revenues with a focus on equity and just transition.

This report is the final outcome of the collaboration that took place in 2021 and 2022 between the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Environment Agency (EEA) and its European Topic Centre (ETC) on circular economy.

This collaboration entails the area of efficient and circular management of material resources and, in particular, of raw materials. Ultimately, this report and underlying data/knowledge findings are meant to support the further development of the European Commission’s Raw Materials Information System (RMIS).