12 Feb. Circular Economy and Next Generation EU: European Parliament votes on important reports on a sustainable Europe
This article is unfortunately only available in German.
Brussels, February 12, 2021 - In the February plenary week, the EU Parliament voted on two important reports for climate and sustainability: The Circular Economy Action Plan and the Regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the centerpiece of the overall €750 billion Next Generation EU recovery plan. Manuela Ripa, MEP of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), comments on the votes:
"I very much welcome the results of the votes - these are two important steps towards a more sustainable, environmentally and climate-friendly Europe. There is still a lot to do, but the call for binding targets in European recycling and a fixed percentage for climate investments in the recovery plan are important signs that show foresight: If we want to leave the next generations a Europe worth living in, indeed a world worth living in, then we need to move away from our resource-intensive consumption now and invest in sustainability! What matters now is implementation: When it comes to recycling, the EU Commission must now swiftly make a legislative proposal for sustainable products. And when it comes to long-term investments by EU member states as part of the European recovery plan, we must not deviate from the EU's environmental protection goals. We must now monitor this very closely."
If we want to leave the next generations a Europe worth living in, indeed a world worth living in, then we need to move away from our resource-intensive consumption now and invest in sustainability!
Action plan for the circular economy
The Report of the EU Parliament in response to the Circular Economy Action Plan of the EU Commission calls, among other things, for binding targets to significantly reduce material consumption in the EU by 2030 and to achieve the transition to a toxic-free, fully circular economy by 2050. The Ecodesign Directive should also be extended to non-energy-related products and horizontal sustainability principles and product-specific standards should be set, e.g. for aspects such as performance, durability and reparability. Planned obsolescence should also be prevented, consumers should be better informed about product lifespan and reparability and a new right to repair should be guaranteed, i.e. access to spare parts and affordable repairs. "We urgently need to move away from the linear economic system, i.e. from the manufacturer to the retailer and consumer to the waste garbage can. Because if we carry on as before, we will need three Earths by 2050to cover our consumption of resources. As shadow rapporteur for the topic of batteries and recycling as well as the Circular Electronics Initiative, I am particularly aware of how important a functioning circular economy is for our future," says Manuela Ripa.
EU reconstruction fund
To help EU Member States cope with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, the European Parliament voted on Wednesday on the Recovery and Resilience Facility of the Recovery Plan "Next Generation EU" voted on Wednesday. This facility, i.e. grants and loans totaling €672.5 billion, is intended to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic and ensure a sustainable Europe in the long term. The conditions for accessing this funding include switching to an environmentally friendly economy and protecting species. In addition, a total of 37 percent of the expenditure earmarked by the member states must be spent on climate protection. "The combination of short and long-term perspectives in the recovery funds is important. The success of this promising package depends solely on its implementation and realization. We must not lose sight of the EU's environmental protection goals here."