The manifesto serves as a call to action for the next term of European Institutions. It emphasises the need to prioritise a European Industrial Deal that makes Europe’s industry sustainable, competitive, and circular.
Furthermore, it highlights the need for a Circular Material Use Act (CMUA) to enact comprehensive policies encompassing waste management and the transformation of waste materials into productive resources for industrial production. As Claudia Mensi, FEAD’s President, highlights, ‘for the circular economy to function, there needs to be a constant demand for recycled materials that compete with the quality standards and prices of virgin materials’.
The manifesto parts from the Vision for 2030, which FEAD published in February. Thus, the CMUA should establish two legally binding targets:
- A Circular Material Use Rate target of 25% by 2030, 30% by 2040, and 35% by 2050.
- A target of 75% for the recycling of all waste materials in the EU by 2035.
These targets will support shifting Europe’s material use towards recycled materials and foster innovation in a thriving circular economy. In addition, to drive the transition towards a comprehensive circular economy, the CMUA will need to act on 5 key levers:
- Aligning industrial production to the circular economy
- Strengthening EU autonomy over its supply of resources
- Harnessing the potential of waste management and the circular economy towards climate change mitigation measures
- Establishing an enforcement mechanism for European waste management legislation
- Ensuring there is a competitive market for waste management
