Circular economy, as a means to make Europe more resource efficient, offers significant opportunities for growth. To enable a successful implementation of these opportunities, a holistic approach and understanding of the circularity is required. Policy makers and all relevant stakeholders need to work together in order to identify truly sustainable solutions. Industry has an important role to play in both identifying and delivering solutions.
This is the reason why BUSINESSEUROPE has called on the European Commission to reconsider its initial proposal on circular economy. Rather than focusing on one
particular stage, inter alia waste management, an overarching policy approach needs to be set up. This should bring into coherence the different interlinked stages and stakeholders along the circle and strike the right balance between different environmental and economic impacts. Only then it can become a real game changer and offer enormous opportunities for all businesses along the entire industrial value chain.
The present position paper puts forward policy recommendations on what should be promoted at EU level with a view to advancing a more resource efficient and circular EU economy and stimulating development of circular business models. It also provides for cross-industries perspective on what circular economy means, how it works and industry contributes to it. By engaging more thoroughly into this important debate, BUSINESSEUROPE hopes that within a reasonable timeframe, the european institutions can agree on a common approach that is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
