Eunomia researched, developed, and published a white paper[1] and report[2] proposing a new EU regulatory framework to accelerate Europe’s transition to a circular economy.
With its track record in climate policy and capacity for high-level regulation and market influence, the European Commission is well placed to provide the global leadership and political vision needed to realign our relationship with materials for a sustainable, thriving future within a 1.5° C carbon budget.
Eunomia’s report presented a comprehensive set of recommendations designed to help Europe prosper in the long term while reducing pressure on resources. We set out the components of a regulatory framework that will:
- Decarbonise material production by extending and aligning the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
- Link, strengthen, and harmonise product policy governing ecodesign for longevity and reuse, digital product passports, repair and reuse systems, product taxation, extended producer responsibility obligations, green public procurement strategies, and the product-waste boundary.
- Reshape the Waste Hierarchy to focus solely on materials at the point where they become waste.
- Develop a new Materials Framework Directive to help manage resources, including waste, through the lens of efficiency and circularity.
The proposed regulatory framework is designed to harness the power of the single market, support a strong industrial strategy for the European Union, minimise administrative burdens for business, and safeguard Europe’s material security. It includes proposals to redistribute revenues from green measures to EU citizens to help ensure a just transition to a circular economy and address some current political challenges.
Our report launched during the Belgian presidency of the European Commission and in the context of proposed, limited, revisions to the Waste Framework Directive.
Eunomia’s policy recommendations make an important contribution to the discussion among policymakers, business, and NGOs about how best to address the triple planetary crisis – climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste – through our approach to managing materials.
[1] Eunomia 2023 Reimagining the Waste Framework Directive – White Paper. Available at: https://eunomia.eco/reports/reimagining-the-waste-framework-directive/
[2] Eunomia 2024 Managing Materials for 1.5°: An EU-level Regulatory Framework for a Low-Carbon Material Economy. Available at: https://eunomia.eco/reports/managing-materials-for-1-5oc-an-eu-regulatory-framework-for-a-low-carbon-material-economy/