The circular economy shows Europe is best when united

Opening the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference at the European Commission on 6 March, EESC President Luca Jahier said the Circular Economy Platform and the ambitious initiatives emerging from it are again proof that Europe is at its best when it works together, when it pools the skills and know-how of its different stakeholders - EU institutions, organized civil society and European citizens.

The Sustainable Development Goals, ambitious though they may be, are a necessity rather than goals, and they can only be achieved by working together. And while we must embrace them, we should also see the many opportunities they offer.

The circular economy is one of these opportunities. It helps us not only to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, but also to win all around: economically by creating new business models, environmentally by pursuing resource optimization and socially by generating new jobs. This is why the EESC intends to push for it to be at the top of the European agenda in the next decade, said Luca Jahier.

Watch the video of President Jahier's speech

The second day of the conference, which will take place at the EESC on 7 March, aims to give a voice to the people who are at the forefront of the transition to a circular economy – civil society organisations, practitioners and experts from across Europe. They will share best practices, showcase their success stories and discuss the challenges they are running into in developing their circular economy projects.