Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)

---

The European Commission adopted the new circular economy action plan (CEAP) in March 2020. It is one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. The EU’s transition to a circular economy will reduce pressure on natural resources and will create sustainable growth and jobs. It is also a prerequisite to achieve the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality target and to halt biodiversity loss.

The new action plan announces initiatives along the entire life cycle of products. It targets how products are designed, promotes circular economy processes, encourages sustainable consumption, and aims to ensure that waste is prevented and the resources used are kept in the EU economy for as long as possible.

 Measures that will be introduced under the new action plan aim to

• make sustainable products the norm in the EU
• empower consumers and public buyers
• focus on the sectors that use most resources and where the potential for circularity is high such as: electronics and ICT, batteries and vehicles, packaging, plastics, textiles, construction and buildings, food, water and nutrients
• ensure less waste
• make circularity work for people, regions and cities
• lead global efforts on circular economy

It is essential to monitor progress towards a circular economy, and its direct and indirect benefits. This allows the EU and national authorities to assess whether policies are effective and to identify best practices.

In 2023, the Commission revised the circular economy monitoring framework, previously adopted in 2018. The revision adds new indicators on

• material footprint and resource productivity - to monitor material efficiency
• consumption footprint – to monitor if EU consumption fits within planetary boundaries

The new framework supports the EU’s circular economy and climate neutrality ambitions under the European Green Deal.

The ESPR will introduce a Digital Product Passport (DPP), a digital identity card for products, components, and materials, which will store relevant information to support products’ sustainability, promote their circularity and strengthen legal compliance. 

This information will be accessible electronically, making it easier for consumers, manufacturers, and authorities to make more informed decisions related to sustainability, circularity and regulatory compliance. It will allow custom authorities to perform automatic checks on the existence and authenticity of the DPPs of imported products.

Information to be included in the DPP will be identified by the Commission, in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders, and will depend on the specific product in question. 

This information can include:

• Product’s technical performance
• Materials and their origins
• Repair activities
• Recycling capabilities
• Lifecycle environmental impactshealthcare technologies can help you provide better care to your patients. From wearable devices to telemedicine platforms, we can help you leverage the latest innovations to improve patient outcomes.