European plastics value chain, represented by European Plastics Converters, Plastics Recyclers Europe, and Plastics Europe, welcomes the relaunch of the Circular Plastics Alliance (CPA) as a critical opportunity to get Europe’s plastics circularity ambitions back on track. At a time of growing pressure on the sector, renewed political focus from the European Commission and Member States must now translate rapidly into concrete action. We hope that the high-level meeting taking place today will be an important step towards that.
In a global context marked by geopolitical instability and supply chain disruptions, building a circular plastics system in Europe is not only an environmental imperative but also a strategic necessity. It is essential to strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, enhancing its strategic autonomy, and safeguarding economic security. Delivering on this ambition now requires bold, coordinated, and decisive leadership.
As the Circular Plastics Alliance relaunches, the plastics value chain calls on EU and national decision-makers to take urgent and targeted action to:
- Restore the competitiveness of the European plastics system;
- Ensure regulations are workable, fit-for-purpose, and capable of accelerating the transition to circularity;
- Create a more enabling environment for investment in circular technologies and infrastructure.
To achieve this, a number of priority measures must be advanced without delay:
- Restore fair competition by promoting Europe made circular plastics;
- Reduce energy costs to enable circular plastics to compete globally;
- Close loopholes in verification and enforcement to ensure a level playing field;
- Address market fragmentation through consistent implementation and enforcement of EU legislation;
- Unlock innovation and investment by breaking regulatory and financial deadlocks;
- Strengthen Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to support a fair and effective circular market.
We welcome the CPA’s renewed focus on addressing immediate competitiveness challenges, including trade-related barriers, enforcement gaps, and capacity constraints. The recognition of the need for dedicated customs codes for recycled plastics is a positive step forward. As industry, we stand ready to actively contribute data, expertise, and practical insights to support this work. We also underline the importance of a technology-neutral approach that supports the full range of recycling solutions needed to scale circularity.
We commend the strong engagement of EU Member States in the renewed CPA framework. While preserving and reinforcing the integrity of the EU Single Market remains essential, national governments also have a critical role to play in providing effective incentives and ensuring that circularity is delivered in practice across Europe.
The Circular Plastics Alliance must now move from ambition to delivery, and fast. As a united plastics value chain, we are committed to turning this renewed momentum into concrete results and ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of circular plastics.