Activities of Pascal ARIMONT related to 2020/2077(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the new Circular Economy Action Plan
Amendments (39)
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considersing that placing sustainable products on the internal market should bprogressively become the norm and, calls for a horizontal Sthe Commission to propose a sustainable Pproduct Framework Directive policy framework setting mandatory minimum requirements, for categories of products, to strengthen energy efficiency, durability, interoperability, reparability, upgradability, reusability and recyclability for all products alongside further product- specific requiremen, taking into account the specific characteristics of different categories of products;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Highlights that for the same period, the share of recycled waste grew (50-54 %) as did that of waste incinerated with energy recovery (12-18 %) and that landfilling decreased from 29 % to 24 %1a _________________ 1aEuropean Environment Agency (2019), “Paving the way for a circular economy: insights on status and potentials”, EEA Report 11/2019.
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. In the light of optimizing existing EU policies' efficiency and their contribution to circular economy, asks the Commission to avoid overlaps and discrepancies among them by considering possible synergies and reviewing on a regular basis the overall consistency among the different policy tools;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Underlines that the overall impacts of increased circular economy activity on EU GDP are positive and could increase by 0,3-0,5 %, in combination with the creation of 650.000-700.000jobs by 20301a; _________________ 1aEuropean Commission (2019), “Impacts of circular economy policies on the labour market”.
Amendment 23 #
1d. Welcomes the Commission’s new Circular Economy Action Plan, which, as an integral part of the European Green Deal, aims to support substantial greenhouse gas emissions reductions by 2030, contributes to achieving climate neutrality in 2050 and decoupling economic growth from resource use; stresses that the intention to review Directive 2009/125/EC and broadening its scope should not lead to any watering down of the results achieved in the field of energy efficiency and asks the Commission to explore the introduction of reusability targets;
Amendment 25 #
1e. Notes that the European Green Deal, as a new growth strategy for the EU, requires investment to fully support a clean and circular economy; highlights the essential role of sustainable active forest management for achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and in the Union’s circular bio-economy; emphasizes in this regard the synergies between the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Bioeconomy Action Plan; calls on the Commission to promote projects in the area of circular bio-base to strengthen regional economies;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Indicates that a circular economy approach that would eliminate waste and keep assets, products and components in use while making productive and efficient use of resources could reduce global CO2 emissions from key industry materials like plastics, steel and cement by 40 %;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Calls on the Commission to explore how its circular economy strategy, by going hand in hand with its New Industrial Strategy for Europe, could contribute to (1) preventing and eliminating waste generation across value chains and in the design of products, and (2) keep products and materials in use by increasing their utilisation and recyclability, as well as extending their lifetime;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
1h. Asks the Commission to explore the introduction of waste reduction targets for industrial and commercial waste streams, and how industrial and commercial waste going to landfills could be reduced notably by means of material circularity;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Given that voluntary agreements have proved ineffective in terms of achieving a sustainable and common charging solution for smartphones and small and medium radio equipment, calls on the Commission to implement, as a matter of urgency, necessary measures for the introduction of a common charger for all small and medium-sized electronic devices in order to best ensure standardisation, compatibility and interoperability of charging capabilities, including wireless charging;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. Highlights the overall need for a transition to a sustainable and more circular economy in the sourcing and manufacturing of construction products and materials and in their use in construction works; calls on the Commission to explore the incorporation of efficiency and reusability criteria in its revision of Regulation (EU) No 305/2011;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to empower consumers to further engage in sustainable consumption practices; calls for mandatory labelling on product dur by ensuring access to correct information about the durability, recyclability and reparability of products; therefore calls the Commission to consider harmonization of voluntary labelling on product circularity, including information about product's durability, recyclability and reparability, and thto be development of a repair score, in addition to minimum information requirements; asks foed in close collaboration with business representatives and other relevant stakeholders; asks the Commission to consider bpothential extension of the legal guarantee rights and the reversed burden of proof rules to be extended based on the lifespan of products, the introduction of direct producer liability, when reviewing the application of Directive 2019/771 on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, and for legislative measures to ban practices resulting in premature obsolescence;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Reiterates the importance for consumers to receive trustworthy and relevant and accurate information about interoperability, charging performance and speed of the charging of electronic devices in order to be able to make the most convenient, cost efficient and sustainable choice for them; strongly believes that the harmonized labelling of chargers would ensure the effective communication of compliance with USB 3.1 or higher and a clear indication of power rating, fast charge capability and compatibility, data capability and speeds, as well as display capability whenever relevant;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Is of the opinion that counterfeit products have become a growing and challenging problem damaging the core concept of the circular economy, which lies in the maintenance of the products and materials’ value. In this context, calls on the Commission to address the risks from counterfeit products, which not only pose an important safety threat for the consumers, but also create direct and/or indirect economic losses to manufacturers;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that research into materials, processes, technologies and products, as well as into their industrial scale-up, can provide European companies with a worldwide competitive advantage; believes that shortening a number of value chains would make European industrial ecosystems more resilient, competitive and profitable, as well as promot, by employing circular economy strategies, European companies could reduce their dependency on scarce natural resources and hedge against price volatility, reduce manufacturing costs and generate new revenue streams; thereby providing them with a worldwide competitive advantage and enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy;
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the crucial role of wood- based materials in substituting fossil- based alternatives and alternatives with a higher environmental footprint in industries such as fuels transport, construction, textiles, chemicals and packaging, and the need to fully take into account the climate and environmental benefits of this material substitution;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop policies supporting research into materials, processes, technologies and products, as well as into their industrial scale-up that would shorten and diversify the number of value chains, making European industrial ecosystems in turn more resilient, competitive and profitable;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Stresses that the establishment of quality requirements and quotas for recycling are important prerequisites for establishing a stable market for recycled plastics and that green public procurement can play an important role in developing this market;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Acknowledges the crucial climate benefits the forest-based sector in the circular economy through carbon storage in wood products and material substitution; stresses the need to promote the use of wood as a sustainable construction material as it enables a transition towards sustainable economy; encourages the Commission to explore different market-based mechanisms in order to incentivise substitution of fossil fuels by renewable raw materials which offer climate benefits;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the importance of transparent and reliable information on product characteristics for consumers, businesses and market surveillance authorities, and welcomes the Commission’s intention to develop a digital product passport; calls, in this regard, for mandatory information requirements to apply throughout the supply chain, covering not onlysuch aspects such as durability and, reparability, but also social and environmental condition and energy efficiency where relevant; calls for these requirements to be developed in close collaboration with industry and other relevant stakeholders taking into account proportionality and costs for businesses, especially SMEs;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of boosting research efforts in the field of chemical recyclinglimate- friendly and energy efficient chemical recycling with various application possibilities which, paired with organic and mechanical recycling, will complete a technology-neutral framework;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Highlights the underused advantages offered by the replacement of single-use products, notably plastic products, by sustainable wood-based products; stresses that the circular use of wood-based products should also be increased in order to improve the use of our sustainable resources, promote resource efficiency, reduce waste and extend the carbon life cycle for the deployment of a sustainable and local circular bioeconomy;
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Emphasizes against this backdrop the importance of improving access to funds for research and innovation projects on the circular economy, by strengthening Horizon Europe, Cohesion Policy, the LIFE programme, Innovation Fund and InvestEU;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Reiterates that the forest-based sector significantly contributes to the development of circular bio-based economies in the EU; emphasises that the forest-based sector and the bio-economy are crucial to achieving the goals of the European Green Deal and climate neutrality by 2050; stresses that in 2015 the bio-economy represented a market estimated to be worth over EUR 2,3 trillion, providing 20 million jobs and accounting for 8.2 % of total employment in the EU; notes that every euro invested in bio-economy research and innovation under Horizon 2020 will generate about EUR 10 in added value;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for a revision of EU public procurement legislation introducing mandatory minimum targets, through defining a certain percentage for procurement based onUnderlines the significant role the public procurement plays in fostering innovative and sustainable products; considers that the benefits of public procurement policies could be further realised if relevant legislation is correctly implemented, harmonised and simplified; encourages the Commission to carry out an in-depth analysis of how to balance environmental, social and ethicalconomic criteria, and introducing a hierarchy of award criteria, together with sector-specific targets. in a sustainable way; calls on the Commission to revise guidance on Public Procurement with the aim to facilitate more sustainable purchasing;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to make more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and micro-companies fit for the circular economy, by supporting them through adequate incentive schemes and financing tools, capacity building and technical assistance, as well as by reducing their administrative and legal burdens;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Acknowledges that well- functioning market based collection and recycling schemes as well as closed loop processes, in line with the circular economy principles, are already in place for a range of battery technologies; however, calls on the Commission to propose eco-design requirements for batteries in order to enhance their recyclability by design as the European transport sector is set to electrify; is convinced that enhanced recycling schemes for batteries could deliver a significant share of the raw materials required for circular battery production within the EU;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Given the food packaging’s high impacts on the environment, particularly when littered, calls on the Commission to clarify the concepts of “(over)packaging” and “unnecessary packaging”; asks, therefore, to the Commission to increase the sustainability of food distribution through specific measures; asks the Commission to take into account new business models, such as packaging free shops, and analyse their potential impact on environment and consumers’ convenience;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Is concerned that the classification of used batteries as waste in the Batteries Directive, independently of reuse, can act as a barrier to such reuse; recognises that reused batteries are not returned for recycling and that safety standards are not controlled when a battery is repurposed for uses with different characteristics than originally designed for; calls on the Commission to apply producer responsibility, with performance and safety guarantees, to the remanufacturer reintroducing the battery to the market; calls on the Commission to clarify the extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR) related to reused batteries;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the Commission to propose ambitious collection and recycling targets for batteries based on critical metal fractions when revising the Batteries Directive; highlights the importance of market based mechanisms in encouraging the reuse of critical raw materials in this respect; underlines the need to further promote research and innovation for recycling processes and technologies under Horizon Europe in order to increase the circular economy potential in batteries; acknowledges the role of SMEs in collection and recycling enterprises;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Asks the Commission and Member States to establish a European-wide deposit system for batteries to enhance the circularity and sustainability of the battery value chain;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Highlights the role of the service sector in increasing accessibility and affordability of repairs, leasing and product-as-a-service; calls on the Commission to evaluate how a more harmonised internal market for services can contribute to the transition to a circular economy;
Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Encourages increased standardisation of the processing of secondary raw materials to facilitate the implementation of circular business models; in this context, calls on the Commission to strengthen the internal market for secondary raw materials through targeted efforts to identify and remove barriers to trade; in addition, asks the Commission to improve the enforcement of the Waste Shipment Regulation with the aims to stimulate sourcing of high quality secondary raw materials in the EU as well as optimize resource efficiency;
Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is of the opinion that the transition towards a digital economy in all sectors can reduce their environmental footprint, while also boosting the green transition; highlights the importance of creating incentives for IoT, predictive maintenance, servicification and product- service systems for accelerating new circular business models; points out that measures are nevertheless needed to deal with the short- and medium- term costs of the transitions and to make them just;
Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Asks the Commission to support a digital transition that builds on maximising the value of data and deploying digitally- enabled solutions to permit the sustainable use of resources and to maintain the value of products and materials for as long as possible; encourages the introduction of digital product passports, accompanied with appropriate platforms for collection and maintenance of data in the context of the European data space.
Amendment 145 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to propose a landfill ban as it already exists in some Member States and in this context to examine a global ban on avoidable and unnecessary single-use plastics and to promote the circular economy worldwide;
Amendment 150 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Points out that thermal recovery is more climate-friendly than landfilling and that it has an established role in the European circular economy with its energy production from burning non- recyclable waste; asks therefore that the method is – in line with scientific criteria and technological neutrality – considered as resource- and climate-friendly;