The European Commission is expected to present its proposal for the Circular Economy Act on 18 November, a legislative initiative aimed at accelerating the transition to a more circular economy in the European Union, strengthening the market for secondary raw materials and enhancing the competitiveness of European industry.
The initiative seeks to establish a single market for secondary raw materials and waste, facilitating the movement of these materials between Member States and increasing the availability of high-quality recycled materials to stimulate demand for recycled raw materials and circular products. The aim is to reduce dependence on virgin resources and imports, promote more efficient resource use and strengthen the EU’s economic resilience.
The circular economy is aligned with the European Commission’s priorities on competitiveness, economic security and sustainability, and is seen as a means of reducing raw material procurement costs, creating business opportunities and minimising the environmental impacts associated with resource extraction and processing.
One of the initiative’s main objectives is to help double the EU’s circular material use rate by 2030, bringing it to 23.2%. In 2024, this figure stood at 12.2%, highlighting the need to accelerate the integration of recycled materials into the European economy.
Despite the progress made, barriers to the expansion of the circular economy remain, particularly the fragmentation of national markets, difficulties in the movement of waste and recycled materials, and insufficient demand for secondary raw materials. The new legislation is therefore expected to address these obstacles by creating more favourable conditions for the development of circular value chains across Europe.
The European Commission thus aims to bring the Union’s environmental and climate objectives into closer alignment with its industrial and economic priorities, fostering a market in which materials can be reused and recycled more efficiently, while reducing waste and pressure on natural resources.
