"We want sustainable products to become the norm on the European market." Product policy is at the heart of a new package of measures presented by the European Commission on 30 March and designed to advance the transition to a circular economy and enhance resource and energy efficiency in the EU.
The new rules are to make "almost all physical goods on the EU market" more friendly to the environment, circular, energy-efficient and suitable for repair, reuse or recycling.
At the formal presentation of the new circular economy proposals in Brussels, Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans recalled the Covid-19 pandemic and Putin's war against Ukraine. "Both remind us how crucial it is to reduce our overdependence on primary natural resources, fossil fuels, and outside suppliers." The way that products were designed and used had a huge impact on resource and energy consumption, he noted. Last year alone, eco-design rules had saved consumers €120bn in energy costs, Mr Timmermans stressed....
