Drawing on results from EU-funded Research and Innovation projects under the Horizon Europe programme, the reports on Research and innovation projects supporting the Circular Economy Act identify key barriers and success factors for scaling circular solutions across regions, across borders and within key sectors and material streams. Each publication focuses on one of the following thematic areas:
- circular public procurement
- extended producer responsibility
- recycled and bio-based content and end-of-waste criteria, and
- waste electrical and electronic equipment and the recovery of critical raw materials
- transnational and regional initiatives
The project portfolio analyses illustrate key constraints, linked, for instance, to regulatory fragmentation, limited data interoperability, and insufficient cross-border coordination. The reports suggest field-specific recommendations, such as life cycle-based Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, procurement tools, and harmonised end-of-waste criteria.
In addition, they highlight the importance of elements such as territorially grounded circular policies, the deployment of Digital Product Passports, and the development of integrated reverse supply chains for critical raw materials.
The targeted recommendations gathered from on-the-ground implementation projects provide valuable insights for the upcoming Circular Economy Act, supporting Europe's circular economy transition in a manner that is actionable, coherent, and systemic.
Reports
- Publication date
- 28 July 2026
- Author
- Directorate-General for Research and Innovation