Friends of the Earth warns that circular economy package is likely to be less ambitious than promised

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Analysis by Friends of the Earth Europe has said that the European Commission’s circular economy package isn’t like to be as ambitious as originally set out.

Last year, European Commission First-Vice President Frans Timmermans (pictured) withdrew the original package put forward by the previous Commission and promised to replace it with a more ambitious set of proposals.

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However, analysis of leaks of the proposals so far by the environmental organisation warns that the new package will not be sufficient to create a circular economy.

Friends of the Earth Europe resource use campaigner Meadhbh Bolger said: “We were promised more ambition to tackle Europe’s overconsumption crisis, but it seems that First Vice President Timmermans is trying to convince us that less is more.

“A raft of voluntary, non-binding proposals that can be easily ignored will not succeed in pacing the way to a true circular economy.

“The European Commission must take clear and decisive steps to slash our resource use and ensure that environmental concerns are not over-shadowed by an increasingly economic agenda.”

In order to make the package ambitious, Friends of the Earth said that a binding EU material reduction target based on a Total Material Consumption indicator should be introduced.

It would also like to see a zero residual waste target by 2025 and binding waste prevention targets.

The organisation would also like a preparing for reuse target, a 70% municipal recycling target and 80% packaging recycling by 2030 for all Member States.

However, it warns that the leaks do not show clear commitment on these ambitious.