CIRCULÉIRE Attends EU Green Week 2025: Key Takeaways from Europe’s Leading Circular Economy Event

Valentina Rangel Leon and Sophie Reynolds at EU Green Week

From the 3rd to 5th of June, CIRCULÉIRE participated in EU Green Week 2025, Europe’s flagship event on environmental policy. This year’s edition focused on the “Three Cs” – Clean, Competitive, and Circular – and made a strong case for placing circularity at the heart of Europe’s environmental, economic and social transformation. 

The event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, civil society, and circular economy practitioners to discuss and showcase how circularity can drive the EU’s strategic autonomy, resilience, and innovation. The message was clear: circular economy is no longer niche- but remains fragile without stronger market signal and systemic support.  

Key highlights included the forthcoming Circular Economy Act (2026), which aims to level the playing field for secondary raw materials, harmonise end-of-waste criteria, and boost demand through green public procurement. There was a resounding call for smarter regulation that supports SMEs, incentivises recycled content, strengthens local and regional ecosystems and advance material use targets.  Importantly, it was noted that identifying new gaps and barriers is a sign of progress – it shows we are moving forward in the transition, even if not fast enough. 

Sessions spotlighted circular opportunities in sectors like bioeconomy and construction, with concrete case studies from across Europe. The role of skills, innovation, and early collaboration featured prominently, alongside the need to scale successful pilots into investable, market-ready solutions. 

Sophie Reynolds, IMR CE Policy & Innovation Lead and Valentina Rangel Leon, IMR CE Policy Officer also attended a side event hosted by the European Bioeconomy Bureau, focused on discussing upcoming European Bioeconomy Strategy and discussing how to scale bioeconomy innovation pilots to industrial level. Key messages included the need to reduce fossil-based material dependency, improve biowaste collection, and align policies to foster nature-positive development. 

Looking ahead, the European Commission announced that the public consultation on the Circular Economy Act will open soon. CIRCULÉIRE will be reaching out to our members to gather insights, best practices, and feedback to help shape this pivotal piece of legislation. 

Stay tuned – and let’s ensure Irish voices and solutions are part of Europe’s circular future.