The Council has adopted the construction products regulation (CPR), which harmonises the EU rules for marketing of those products, facilitates their free movement in the single market, reduces administrative burdens and promotes the circular economy and technological development in that sector. This is the last step in the decision-making procedure. The CPR updates the existing […]
EU brings product liability rules in line with digital age and circular economy
The Council adopted a directive to update the EU’s civil liability law. The new liability rules better take into account that nowadays many products have digital features and that the economy is becoming increasingly circular. Bence Tuzson, Hungarian Minister of Justice stated “The product liability rules that the Council adopted today are good news for […]
Circular economy: new EU rules on right to repair
The Council has today adopted a directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the right-to-repair (or R2R) directive. This legislation will make it easier for consumers to seek repair instead of replacement and repair services will become more accessible, transparent and attractive. The adoption of the directive is the last step in […]
European Environment Agency: Now is the time to accelerate the shift to a more circular Europe
Despite legislative steps forward over the past five years, efforts to transform Europe’s largely linear, ‘throw-away’ economy into a circular one will require further bold action and strong implementation of existing measures. Decisive action is essential to drastically reduce waste, prioritise reduction of resource use, improve recycling rates and improve the introduction of products that […]
Council adopts new regulation on batteries and waste batteries
The Council adopted a new regulation that strengthens sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries. The regulation will regulate the entire life cycle of batteries – from production to reuse and recycling – and ensure that they are safe, sustainable and competitive. The regulation of the European Parliament and the Council will apply to all batteries including […]
The Commission is proposing rules to make producers responsible for the full lifecycle of textile products
The Commission is proposing rules to make producers responsible for the full lifecycle of textile products and to support the sustainable management of textile waste across the EU. This initiative will accelerate the development of the separate collection, sorting, reuse and recycling sector for textiles in the EU, in line with the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. Increasing the […]
EU-funded project develops robots capable of detecting damage and repairing themselves
When humans and animals are injured such as from a cut, they are able to heal over time. However, for broken robots, this often means replacement parts are needed. This not only impacts on the environment, but these parts can be costly. The EU-funded SHERO project had a radical vision of developing fully autonomous self […]
How is the EU working on the circular economy?
By using this model of production and consumption, we can reduce pollution and look to the future with greater optimism. What is the EU currently doing to promote the circular economy? The European Parliament defines the circular economy as: “a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, restoring and reusing existing […]
European Parliament agenda for 2023: renewables, digitization, migration
Renewable energy, the circular economy, migration and online security are all on Parliament’s agenda for 2023. Digital transformation Cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and data sharing will all be discussed by Parliament in 2023. MEPs will agree a position on a legal framework for artificial intelligence in January, which aims to introduce a common regulatory and […]