Circular Economy: EU elections meaning

The European Parliament elections take place from Thursday 6 June to Sunday 9 June in all Member States of the European Union. Most countries will vote on Sunday, but some, such as the Netherlands and Italy, open their polling stations earlier.

The next European Parliament will have a significant impact not only on legislation, but also on the composition of the next European Commission, which is responsible for initiatives such as the Green Deal.

In the run-up to the elections, all the major parties have published manifestos setting out their policy objectives. Below we summarise their priorities for the circular economy.

The European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists & Democrats (S&D) and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) advocate for a carbon-free circular economy that is based on further investments and innovation.

ALDE also highlight Europe’s dependency on raw material imports, which they plan to solve by incentivising investments in sustainable production via diversification, reuse and repair.

Furthermore, they advocate for a comprehensive carbon footprint transparency label on products.

The European Greens propose a fully circular and non-toxic economy by 2040 with clear and binding targets and transition pathways by 2030.

They also plan to build upon the Ecodesign Regulation to implement mandatory sustainability requirements for a range of products, and align consumer protection and climate change through measures such as wide-spread repair, second-hand internal markets or refurbishment.

It is not only about recycling processes and compliance, it is also about networking. ERP shares knowledge, insights, and news so that together we can promote the sustainable agenda.