The next Circular Economy Working Group meetings will discuss the following topics:

Session on EU Waste Laws implementation update and what’s next  – Wednesday 14 April – 14:00 – 16:00

This session will update the network on the status of the Waste Directives implementation. Specifically, we will focus on possible infringements procedures, complaints, and joint actions. We will prepare for the event at the European Parliament that will follow the next day, organized by the EEB on the very same topic. We will also look at the next steps of the EU policy agenda, notably at the waste prevention targets set up at EU level, and how that corresponds to the current state of play at national level.

Session on Sustainable Product Policy initiative – Thursday 15 April – 10:00 – 12:30

This session on Sustainable product policy initiative will notably deal with the revision of Ecodesign and its scope extension, as well as product passport. It will explore further what kind of key principles and requirements can be set at transversal level to apply to all products, versus legal provisions that may be best defined at sectoral/product group level. It will also address the range of policy instruments that should coherently be complementing ecodesign type approach. The objective is to consolidate a NGO discussion paper and get some supporting material to answer the official consultation that will run until mid/end of May 2021.

Event on Waste laws: “Where are we with the implementation of the EU waste laws?” – Thursday 15 April – 14:00 – 16:00

More information about this public event here.

Session on ecodesign, ICT and the Circular Electronics Initiative – Friday 16 April – 14:00 – 16:00

Smartphones and computers are currently under investigation in the ecodesign framework with proposals for product requirements expected this year. The Commission is also expected to launch a dedicated consumer electronics initiative in Q3 2021. In addition, March 2021 marked the entry into force of new ecodesign measures and the re-scaled energy label. We are interested to learn from our members about national issues on repair such as repair labels or repair registries. Overall, this session will examine policies to reduce the environmental impact of consumer electronics.

Session on Textiles – Monday 19 April – 14:00 – 16:00

The main focus of the session on Textiles will be the EU Textile Strategy public consultation (expected to be published in March). The session will also be an opportunity to discuss the follow-up to the NGO position paper and plan for future advocacy activities.

Session on EU Built Environment, Energy Performances of Buildings, and the building industry – Wednesday 21 April – 10:00 – 12:00

Under the Renovation Wave initiative, the Commission has started reviewing the Energy Performances of Buildings Directive to guide these renovations. An EU Strategy for a Built Environment is also expected to be launched in 2021, although more pressure is to be set to secure a timely release. Both initiatives will be discussed, and we are interested in learning from our members about the national requirements and experiences on circularity, renovations, and energy efficiency in buildings. Moreover, in order to support EEB members in their national demands and actions, we will present the last policy brief published by EEB on why prioritizing circular economy measures in the energy-intensive industry & building sector makes sense.

Session on Green claims and consumer empowering (including right to repair) – Friday 6 May- 11:00 – 13:00

The European Commission will make legislative proposals on environmental claims and consumer law in 2021. These will address the rules for making green claims on products, covering issues such as sustainability labels, the use of Life Cycle Analysis data, and information on durability or repair. We are interested to learn from our members about existing consumer legislation which improve the availability of reliable environmental information. Overall, this session will examine what role labelling and consumer law can play in supporting sustainability.

These events are addressed to EEB members.