On 31 August, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, Jessica Roswall, met with 16 young people who helped shape the European Commission’s Youth Check on the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA). The meeting was part of the participatory process launched earlier this year to ensure that young people’s views help guide the Commission’s flagship initiative for Europe’s circular economy.
It followed the Commissioner’s first exchange with young participants at the annual conference of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) in April. Since then, a team of youth representatives has worked to develop a Youth Position Paper setting out their recommendations.
At the meeting, the group presented their main messages and discussed with Commissioner Roswall the opportunities and challenges of Europe’s circular transition. They called for a Circular Economy Act that goes beyond waste management and focuses on using resources more efficiently, making products easier to repair and reuse, ensuring safe and high-quality secondary materials, keeping the transition affordable and fair, investing in circular skills, and maintaining meaningful youth involvement during implementation.
The discussion also allowed the Commissioner to respond to the youth recommendations, reflect on the contribution of the Youth Check to the policy-making process and reaffirm the Commission’s commitment to effective youth involvement.
Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and Competitive Circular Economy: “Young people are not only stakeholders in Europe’s circular transition; they are essential partners in shaping it. We need young people to voice their ideas and be part of the change that will make Europe’s circular economy a reality. I am happy to receive their ambitious recommendations today, which will help inform our work as we prepare the Circular Economy Act.”
Background
The CEA, due to be adopted before the end of 2026, aims to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy, increasing the EU’s economic security, resilience, competitiveness and decarbonisation. It is intended to improve the business case for circularity by facilitating the cross-border movement of recycled products, materials, and waste across Europe. It will also increase the supply of high-quality recycled materials and stimulate demand for these materials in the EU.
The Youth Position Paper on the CEA was coordinated by the youth organisations Academics for Circular Economy (ACE) and Generation Climate Europe (GCE).
The CEA Youth Check combined a targeted online consultation of young people aged 15 to 29, a dedicated youth session during the ECESP Annual Conference, and additional exchanges with youth stakeholders. The Youth Check will also inform the Impact Assessment prepared for the Circular Economy Act in line with the Commission’s Better Regulation Guidelines.
More information
Summary of the online Youth Consultation
