Circularity is at the core of Europe’s sustainable and industrial agenda. With the upcoming Circular Economy Act and the revision of the WEEE Directive, policymakers, industry and stakeholders are shaping the rules that will determine how Europe closes the loop on resources while safeguarding competitiveness. At yesterday’s APPLiA-sponsored European Forum for Manufacturing dinner debate at the European Parliament, the focus was on how to make circularity deliver in practice.
Opening the discussion, MEP Bruno Tobback stressed that Europe’s competitiveness and environmental ambition must go hand in hand. From the Commission side, Luis Planas Herrera, Cabinet Member of Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall, underlined harmonisation as the key to a Single Market for secondary raw materials, while reminding that “good legislation requires time” and must build on synergies with tools such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
APPLiA’s Director General, Paolo Falcioni, highlighted that circularity can only succeed if all actors across the value chain are involved. He called for harmonised EU rules to replace today’s patchwork, realistic targets that reflect actual product lifetimes, and incentives to stimulate demand for secondary raw materials. “Circularity is not just about recycling, it is about building a market that works,” he underlined.
From the Council, Mathias Kirkegaard of the Danish Presidency underlined that circularity is no longer a nice-to-have but a necessity for Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy. Sending clear signals to investors and ensuring strong enforcement across Member States, he noted, will be key to deliver on this ambition.
Members of the European Parliament stressed that circularity must be treated as a cornerstone of Europe’s industrial future. They pointed to the need to reduce dependency on third countries, to create real demand for secondary raw materials, and to ensure a level playing field through one robust European framework instead of fragmented national systems.
Industry representatives reinforced these priorities. Without harmonised legislation, ambitious but realistic targets and effective enforcement, Europe risks losing valuable resources and jobs to global competitors. From producers to recyclers, the consensus was clear: the technology exists, but scaling it requires clarity, fairness and an all-actors approach.
The debate showed a broad convergence on the way forward. Harmonised legislation, realistic targets, stronger demand for secondary raw materials and effective enforcement emerged as shared priorities among policymakers and industry alike.
This website uses cookies that are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the privacy policy. By accepting this OR scrolling this page OR continuing to browse, you agree to our privacy policy.
