Circular Economy Act : European Commissioners discuss « the urgency of doubling down on circularity »

"It is our path to turning resource vulnerability into circular opportunity, innovation, and economic security and resilience. The current oil crisis underlines the urgency of doubling down on circularity", declares Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, before an "orientation debate" setting ambitions of the upcoming Circular Economy Act with other Commissioners in Brussels on 06/05/2026.

"Europe cannot secure its future by continuing to chase resources that weaponise our dependencies against us", she adds. "The circular economy holds enormous potential because it can define Europe’s strength by what it no longer depends on."

On 05/05/2026, Stéphane Séjourné also highlighted, before the ENVI Committee, the role the circular economy can play in the EU's independence. "The circular economy plays a part in the reindustrialisation and contributes to the objective of a 20% reindustrialisation in Europe."

The Circular Economy Act, which aims to establish a Single Market for recycled materials, improving their supply and demand within the EU, is set to be adopted by the end of 2026. A call for evidence was conducted by the European Commission between August and November 2025.

The circular economy and recycling sector calls for the Circular Economy Act to include incentives to allow for the scale-up of EU innovations and to include a European preference.