The circular economy package

In December 2015, the European Commission presented a new circular economy package, with an action plan for the circular economy.

The action plan sets out a series of actions planned for the coming years, and four legislative proposals on waste, containing targets for landfill, reuse and recycling. The targets are to be met by 2030.

The Circular Economy Package consists of an EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy that establishes a concrete and ambitious programme of action - view the EC communication of the action plan here. It includes measures covering the whole cycle: from production and consumption to waste management and the market for secondary raw materials. An annex to the EC communication of the action plan sets out the timeline when the actions will be completed.

According to the briefing of January 2016, from the European Parliament, circular economy and extended producer responsibility can be defined as follows:

Circular  economy (CE)
an  economic  model  based inter alia on sharing,  leasing, reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling, in an (almost) closed loop, which aims to retain the highest utility and value of products, components and materials at all times.

Extended producer responsibility (EPR)
an environmental policy approach whereby producers take  over  the  financial  and/or  organisational  responsibility for  collecting or taking  back  used goods, as well as sorting and treatment for their recycling.