Circular economy

In line with EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal under the Green Deal, the European Commission proposed a new Circular Economy Action Plan in March 2020, focusing on waste prevention and management and aimed at boosting sustainable growth, competitiveness and EU global leadership in the field. MEPs want the EU to adopt an ambitious circular economy model to achieve environmentally and economically sustainable growth by maintaining the value of products, materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible. Modernising the EU's legislative framework for batteries is an integral part of the Green Deal. It builds on commitments and reports adopted by the European Commission, including the action plans on batteries and the new circular economy, the new industrial strategy for Europe and the sustainable and smart mobility strategy aiming to deliver a 90% reduction in transport-related GHG emissions by 2050. The European Commission has announced the establishment of a 'right to repair', with a view of saving costs for consumers and facilitating the development of a circular economy. The right to repair may refer to different issues and situations: repair during the legal guarantee, the right to repair after the legal guarantee has expired, and the right for consumers to repair products themselves. In a resolution adapted in April, MEPs say that a new “right to repair” must cover designing long-lasting products that can be fixed, as well as more informative labelling and extended guarantee rights.