In its recent Communication of December 2019 regarding the European Green Deal, the Commission committed to adopt a new Circular Economy Action Plan in order to accelerate and continue the transition towards a Circular Economy. The Commission plans to adopt the Action Plan together with the Industrial Strategy in order to mobilize the industrial sector and all the value chains towards a model of sustainable and inclusive growth, ensuring efficient and clean resource cycles.
The European Green Deal further highlights the potential of a Circular Economy for new economic activities and jobs. Based on the Circular Economy Monitoring Framework already 4 million people work in Circular Economy related activities. That number has increased since 2012 by 6%. Furthermore, these activities generated almost EUR 147 billion in value added in 2016. According to the Commission, the new action plan will reinforce these positive trends.
The new plan will contribute to increasing the circularity of the EU’s economy, preserving its natural environment and supporting the contribution of the EU’s industry to achieve a climate-neutral continent. It will stimulate markets for climate-neutral and circular products and services, modernise the EU’s economy and reap the benefits of the transition in the EU and beyond. The Commission considers that there is a lot needed to move away from a linear economy and mitigate its associated impacts on the environment, for example in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change.
The new Circular Economy Action Plan is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2020. On 6 January of this year the Commission invited all stakeholders to provide feedback on the relevant roadmap (https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2019-7907872_en). The process closed on 20 January 2020.