EESC: Circular Economy Act must make Europe more resilient, competitive and independent

During a plenary debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera stressed the strategic importance of the Circular Economy Act for Europe’s future. This point was underlined by the EESC members who called for circularity to be put at the heart of Europe’s competitiveness and resilience agenda. It should be seen not only as an environmental objective but also an economic and geopolitical strategy. 

The debate built on the EESC’s ongoing work on the future Circular Economy Act. At the request of the European Commission, the Committee adopted an exploratory opinion, Circular Economy Act - Circular economy and responsible resource consumption within planetary boundaries, which will feed directly into the forthcoming legislation, reflecting the close cooperation between the two institutions in shaping Europe’s circular transition.

The Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition and Commissioner for Competition at the European Commission, Teresa Ribera, highlighted the significant role of the circular economy and said that: The circular economy is essential for strengthening Europe’s resilience and competitiveness while reducing our dependence on imported resources and ensuring our strategic autonomy. The transition is not something that happens to Europe. The transition is the way in which Europe actively shapes its own future. She also stressed the important part played by the EESC, which provides the space for the social partners to ask questions and discuss solutions for how to keep the transition just, competitive and greener.

Presenting the EESC’s work on the future Circular Economy Act, rapporteur Cillian Lohan called for a more systemic approach to circularity: The Circular Economy Act should strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and resilience by accelerating the shift from a linear – take-make-waste – economy to a circular one. This is essential not only for people’s well-being and prosperity, but also for our planet. In concrete terms, we propose that the Act strengthens European markets for secondary raw materials and integrates a resource-use perspective into all EU policies. Circularity must become a cross-cutting principle, Mr Lohan said.

In its opinion on the Circular Economy Act, the Committee stressed that circularity must be designed as an industrial policy tool, making repair, reuse, remanufacturing and secondary raw materials economically attractive rather than simply legally possible. To achieve this, Europe needs clearer market signals, a genuine single market for circular products and secondary raw materials, and improved access to financing, particularly for SMEs and social economy actors. It also recommends that transition brokers - helping companies to transition from linear to circular- be formally recognised and resourced to drive circularity across value chains. 

The EESC members at the plenary debate stressed that workers cannot be seen as holding back the process but as a driver of the just transition. At the same time, circularity would not happen just because it is regulated by the EU. It needs to deliver a Europe that is competitive, innovative and economically viable. 

EESC President Séamus Boland highlighted the social dimension of the transition and the need to ensure that citizens and businesses are fully involved:

A circular economy is ultimately about people. The transition will only succeed if citizens understand its benefits and if it creates quality jobs and protects our planet for future generations. It must also provide opportunities for workers, businesses and communities. Europe does not lack circular-economy ideas - what we need are the right economic conditions to scale them up,Mr Boland said.

The EESC and the European Commission jointly manage the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP), a unique forum bringing together businesses, public authorities, social partners and civil society organisations to accelerate the circular transition. As the Platform prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2027, a milestone that will be marked during the annual ECESP conference, the EESC looks forward to the active participation of high-level representatives of the European Commission. The conference is tentatively scheduled for 29-30 April.

Building on a decade of cooperation, the Platform will continue to play a pivotal role in translating policy ambitions into practical solutions, fostering stakeholder ownership and identifying barriers to implementation across sectors, thereby ensuring that the circular transition delivers tangible benefits for citizens, businesses and communities across Europe. (ks)