Increasing the circular material use rate

Subject: Increasing the circular material use rate

According to Eurostat, the EU average circular material use rate in 2020 was 12.8%.

There are significant differences between sectors, with the highest rates of recycling seen for metals (25%) and non-metallic minerals including glass (16%).

There are also huge gaps between Member States, from 31% in the Netherlands, 23% in Belgium and 22% in France, down to 1% in Romania and 2% in Portugal and Ireland.

Finally, but no less importantly, I note the slow growth in the European circularity rate, which has increased by only 0.8% since 2019. Progress has been stable for the last 15 years, but is insufficient in view of the EU’s climate ambitions. To reach the proposed targets, it is essential that we economise and reuse our primary materials.

Does the European Commission envisage an urgent and substantial boost in the circular use of primary materials at EU level, and particularly in those Member States and sectors that are still in the early stages of this process?

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (23 February 2022)

The Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (CEAP) (1) highlights that the EU needs to accelerate the transition to a circular economy and therefore strive to double its circular material use rate in this decade.

The CEAP identifies a series of actions to decrease the pressure on the consumption of primary raw materials, notably through focus on durability, reuse and repair, and increase recycling, including through boosting the uptake of recycled materials in the EU.

The Commission intends to present several initiatives to advance these objectives this year, such as the Sustainable Products Legislative Initiative (2), the review of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (3), the End of Life Vehicles Directive (4) and the Construction Products Regulation (5).

The Commission is working with Member States on the implementation of the ambitious EU targets and other requirements to increase recycling and reduce landfilling of waste adopted in 2018 (6), as well as with stakeholders on increasing the confidence in safe secondary raw materials.

The Commission is also finalising an assessment of the scope to develop further EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for certain waste streams.

In addition, support to new sorting and recycling technologies and reforms incentivising the recycling of materials, for instance, through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (7), will enable further increase of circular material use rates, in particular in Member States with weaker performance.

The Commission will assess progress on the circular economy in the context of updating the Monitoring Framework on the circular economy (8) and the Environmental Implementation Review (9).

⋅1∙ https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en

⋅2∙ https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12567-Sustainable-products-initiative_en

⋅3∙ Directive (EU) 2018/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste, OJ L 150,

14.6.2018, p. 141‐154.

⋅4∙ Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on end-of life vehicles — Commission Statements, OJ L 269,

21.10.2000, p. 34‐43.

⋅5∙ Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of

construction products and repealing Council Directive 89/106/EEC, OJ L 88, 4.4.2011, p. 5‐43. ⋅6∙ Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109‐


⋅7∙ https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/recovery-coronavirus/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en

⋅8∙ https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/circular-economy/indicators/monitoring-framework

⋅9∙ https://ec.europa.eu/environment/eir/index_en.htm