Revised monitoring framework for the circular economy

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes and underlines the importance of the new Monitoring Framework for effective and practical implementation ensuring that Circular Economy monitoring continues to move in the right direction;
• regrets that the EESC as well as existing active networks notably the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform were not included in the design phase of this new Monitoring Framework;
• recommends to monitor circular business models (reuse, repair, refurbishment, second hand platforms) and measure the size of the market;
• highlights that the social aspect is not sufficiently monitored, and proposes to include social indicators that reflect access and affordability, human development, ethical and fair trade, health and safety, consumer behaviour;
• recommends to include indicators that reflect the efforts of SMEs, the human capital component and to break down employment according to gender, age, salary etc.
• suggests to include other types of linear waste such as pollutants in soil, air and water;
• suggests to establish a new website, mapping out the goals and targets and performance as this would useful to stimulate action and drive for achieving such targets;
• highlights that the Circular Economy is a practical way of generating prosperity and wealth, in the context of a well-being economy. Therefore, monitoring should be linked to SDGs.