On 2 July, the Commission invited around 20 stakeholders (industry, business association, NGO etc.) for a 2-hour exchange on circular economy with Commissioners Teresa Ribera (Clean, Just and Competitive Transition), Stéphane Séjourné (Industry) and Jessika Roswall (Environment). Several participants advocated for the use of public procurement, for the acceleration of permit procedures for infrastructures (recycling, collection, etc.) and raised concerns about the difficulties in making recycled materials competitive (especially plastics). In response, the Commission has put forward three upcoming legislative proposals: the Circular Economy Act, an omnibus legislation on extended producer responsibility and the future revision of the Public Procurement Directive. Several participants noted the willingness of the Commission to create a genuine economic model for circularity.
