The European Commission has decided to launch a €1 billion call for research and innovation projects that respond to the climate crisis and help protect Europe’s unique ecosystems and biodiversity. The Horizon 2020-funded European Green Deal Call is open for registration. It will spur Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis by turning green challenges into innovation opportunities.

The Sustainable products initiative, which will revise the Ecodesign Directive and propose additional legislative measures as appropriate, aims to make products placed on the EU market more sustainable. You are welcome to give your feedback on it until 2 November 2020.

Despite the waste hierarchy in force – Reduce, Re-use and Recycle, re-use could be much further developed. Waste management programmes include re-use but prioritise recycling, even though re-use is more environmentally and socially friendly. 2Lifes project is meant to be an instrument to help boost re-use through public policy.

CityLoops is a new EU-funded project focusing on organic, and construction and demolition waste.

In a continued effort to reduce Europe's carbon footprint and to lower energy bills for European consumers, the European Commission has adopted new eco-design measures on 1 October for products such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers and televisions.

On 20 September 2019, more than 100 public and private partners covering the whole plastics value chain signed the declaration of the Circular Plastics Alliance, which promotes voluntary actions for a well-functioning EU market in recycled plastics.

To help stakeholders and citizens understand the circular economy, Didier Bourguignon from the European Parliamentary Research Service answers three key questions on circular economy.

On December 6, European Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella and other EU representatives met Romanian government ministers and civil society leaders including ECESP Coordination Group member Dr Elena-Simina Lakatos.

The European Commission proposed new EU-wide rules to target the 10 single-use plastic products most often found on Europe's beaches and seas, as well as lost and abandoned fishing gear.

The European Commission is calling for applications with a view to selecting members of the Technical Expert group on Sustainable Finance.

Reducing marine litter: action on single use plastics and fishing gear

Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, is launching a new website section dedicated to circular economy.

The Commission's Plastic Strategy in early 2018 will address possible approaches to address some single-use plastic items and marine litter including lost or abandoned fishing gear.

The roadmap for the Evaluation of legislation on Food Contact Materials - Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 is now open for comments from stakeholders.

The European Commission has just launched the pilot phase of a new EU-wide framework for sustainable buildings called Level(s). The pilot phase is expected to last until 2019 and stakeholders are warmly invited to participate in the testing phase.