Circular Economy

Plastic: Commission signals short-term support for recyclers

Speaking at a Policy Dialogue hosted by the European Policy Centre on 14 October, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall announced that the Commission would propose a set of short-term initiatives to support plastic recyclers before the end of the year, without waiting for the adoption of the Circular Economy Act scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.

These measures, she explained, will aim to stimulate investment, implement justified trade measures, and simplify existing rules.

Roswall acknowledged that the current recycling rates for plastics remain too low and that the market still lacks confidence concerning demand for recycled content.

“Investors will not build new recycling capacities unless they are convinced they can sell recycled plastics,” she stated.

This lack of market certainty, she said, has become a key bottleneck in the sector.

While the details of the upcoming initiatives remain undisclosed, Roswall stressed the urgency of acting ahead of the longer-term legislation.

She noted that different material streams face different challenges: “The bottlenecks for plastics are not the same as for textiles, aluminium, or cement.”

Accordingly, the Commission intends to avoid one-size-fits-all solutions.

The Commissioner also addressed the issue of unfair competition, noting that EU plastic recyclers are increasingly under pressure from cheaper imports.

She reiterated the need to level the playing field and hinted at potential trade defence instruments where justified.

Roswall encouraged stakeholders to contribute to the consultation on the Circular Economy Act and its impact assessment, which remained open until 6 November.

In parallel, Roswall hosted a roundtable with stakeholders from across the plastics value chain to discuss how to reinforce Europe’s recycling ecosystem and accelerate its transition towards competitive circularity.