One of the CONSOLE Blog posts this week was about the circular economy. But it was no an accident, since this week, the European Commission has launched a package of proposals aimed at ensuring the transition to a circular economy.
Policy experts welcomed the package and also stress the need for swift action to cut emissions and resource use by EU members.
As Denise Godinho, Communications Director of the European Environmental Bureau, pointed out «after a two-year legal battle against a chemical industry group, the European Commission won ”. And this fact sets an important precedent and opens the door to a more systematic restriction of substances that hinder the circular economy.
Package of proposals
The set of measures of the European Green Deal is made up of:
- A sustainable products initiative aimed at boosting the circularity of products in the EU market, including a reform of eco-design laws;
- A strategy for sustainable and circular textiles;
- A proposal for the revision of the Construction Products Regulation;
- New rule to reinforce the power of the consumer.
The first measure is complemented by a new legal framework so that almost all physical goods marketed in the EU are more environmentally friendly, adapted to the circular economy and efficient from an energy point of view.
Regarding the second measure, a strategy for textiles was presented by the European Union, with the aim of making them more durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable. All this fight against fast fashion, textile waste and the destruction of unsold products.
The third action aims to stimulate the internal market for construction products and that it meets the criteria for sustainability and climate.
Finally, a package is approved to propose regulations to train consumers towards the ecological transition; so that they are better informed about the environmental sustainability of products.
In short, the European Commission takes a new step so that we all move towards a circular economy in the EU, less dependent on energy and resources; more resistant to external disturbances and respectful of the health of citizens.
