CTA has participated in the development of a new position paper led by Greenovate! Europe (G!E), which provides recommendations for the future Circular Economy Act (CEA) of the European Commission, a key initiative aimed at accelerating the transition towards a circular economy in Europe. The document highlights the role of the circular bioeconomy, public procurement as a driver of innovation, and the need to create a supportive framework for sustainable business models.

The proposal comes at a crucial moment for the European Union. Although the circular economy delivers significant economic, social and environmental benefits, implementation remains too slow to achieve the EU’s ambition of doubling circularity to 24% by 2030. The position paper stresses the need to strengthen policies that enable changes in production systems, governance, regulation and consumption patterns.

A law to strengthen Europe’s circular bioeconomy

Among the paper’s main recommendations is the recognition of secondary bio-based materials, such as recovered nutrients, organic residues and by-products from agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as strategic resources within the circular economy. The document also calls for the removal of regulatory barriers that currently hinder the valorisation of these resources and for the promotion of financial instruments that facilitate the market uptake of innovative solutions.

In addition, the paper highlights the importance of using public procurement as a lever to generate demand for circular products and services through harmonised European criteria, digital tools and greater participation of innovative SMEs.

European project experience supporting European policymaking

The recommendations are based on the results and lessons learned from numerous projects funded through European research and innovation programmes. One of these projects is ROBIN, in which CTA actively participated and whose experience in territorial governance models for the bioeconomy has contributed to the proposals included in the document.

In particular, ROBIN demonstrated the importance of adapting circular economy strategies to the specific characteristics, capacities and value chains of each territory, promoting tailored approaches and effective collaboration among public authorities, businesses, research organisations and citizens.

The position paper also highlights the role of clusters and innovation ecosystems as key enablers of the circular transition. By connecting stakeholders, fostering social acceptance of new solutions and supporting their scale-up, these ecosystems help accelerate the uptake of circular practices. This vision aligns closely with CTA’s mission of fostering collaboration between companies, technology centres, universities and public administrations to drive innovation and sustainability.

CTA drives the circular economy through innovation

CTA’s contribution to this document reinforces its commitment to evidence-based European policymaking that reflects the real needs of industry, regions and innovation ecosystems. Through its involvement in European projects related to the bioeconomy, circular economy and sustainability, CTA helps transfer the knowledge generated by research and innovation initiatives into the design of future European public policies.

The recommendations presented in this position paper aim to ensure that the future Circular Economy Act becomes an effective instrument for fostering a more circular, resilient and competitive European economy, creating new opportunities for businesses, particularly SMEs, and accelerating the transition towards more sustainable production models.