Audible response
EU consultation on circular economy
EU strategy should include sediments, waste taxes and the ability of ports to support industrial symbiosis. The European Commission is expected to launch a circular economy package towards the end of 2015.
The package is expected to be more ambitious than the previous one, which was more aimed at a more sensible use and recycling of resources in general.
The new package aims to create better conditions for the development of the circular economy by addressing current barriers and enabling the development of new markets and business models. Ahead of the launch of the package, the Commission has launched a public consultation: Public Consultation on the Circular Economy.
Danish Ports has responded to the consultation with a particular focus on more sensible rules for sediment management and taxes on marine waste, as well as the possibility for ports to establish businesses that support industrial symbiosis, including sharing waste and energy flows.
The Commission package is expected to include an action plan for the circular economy, which will identify the most important areas across the value chain, including, among others: material production and use, product design, distribution, public procurement, consumption, labelling and product information, waste management, development of the market for secondary raw materials, extraction of secondary raw materials, food, plastics and critical raw materials.
For further information on the initiative, see the Commission's roadmap
