Europe's circular economy transition is changing what is expected from goods, services and businesses: products need to be more resource-efficient and consumers need reliable information.
The Commission's DG Environment and DG for International Cooperation and Development commissioned a study on the circular economy in Africa, and eight country reports were drawn up in preparation for a continent-wide report on the prospects of the circular economy in Africa.
The South Africa report examines the scope and status of the circular economy there. It looks at the policy framework, trade and investments and the impact and benefits of the circular economy. It also explores circular economy-related cooperation between the EU and South Africa. It concludes that South Africa already promotes a green economy agenda in Africa and the national government is now planning to pivot to a circular economy in the wake of the pandemic.
This two-day international event is organised by the WEEE Forum in cooperation with WEEE Ireland.
It will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, producer responsibility organisations (PROs), recyclers, manufacturers and circular economy experts to discuss the future of Extended Producer Responsibility and electronic waste management within Europe's evolving circular economy framework.
OrigoVero™ is a Digital Product Passport platform built for the EU's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and adjacent sector rules, including the EU Battery Regulation, the wine e-label and future textile, toy, packaging and construction requirements.
Through the Call for Action to make the Circular Economy Act an enabler for circular construction to face the raw materials crisis, cities, regions and industry representatives are calling for stronger European action to reduce resource dependency, strengthen competitiveness and accelerate the circular transition in the built environment.
Last week, the European Economic and Social Committee, one of the two EU bodies behind the ECESP, adopted an opinion on the future Circular Economy Act.
The ECESP contributed through targeted expertise and wider stakeholder engagement.
The circular economy is increasingly recognised as a pathway to long-term economic resilience and prosperity.
However, its application to date has focused primarily on finite, technical materials, overlooking bio-based materials. This gap limits the ability of the circular economy to deliver system-wide impact.
This paper intends to shed new light on the application of the circular economy framework to bio-based materials.
It finds that better alignment of policy agendas on circular economy and bio-based materials could deliver wide-ranging socioeconomic and environmental benefits. Many countries could see this as a key opportunity in the development of bio-based sectors within global value chains. It could also help to distribute value more fairly across all actors involved.
This event will present practical experiences with circular procurement criteria, market consultations and capacity building.
It will also discuss challenges such as the tendency to prioritise short-term benefits over long-term value and the perception that markets and organisations are not yet ready for circular solutions.
The Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026 will bring together leaders from policy, science, industry and civil society to explore how the bioeconomy can be scaled as a force for change.
It will highlight how bio-based solutions address pressing global crises, from food and energy security to health, biodiversity loss and climate resilience.
