EU circular economy law proposal coming later this year – The effects of the regulation are already visible in the market

(For subscribers.) EU circular economy regulation is entering a new phase, in which the aim is to bring the entire life cycle of products under the same regulatory framework. According to Fondia's environmental lawyer Netta Skön, companies are now required to monitor regulations more closely than before and to be able to identify both regulatory risks and new business opportunities. European circular economy regulation is currently in the midst of a major transformation, assessed Fondia Oy's environmental lawyer Netta Skön at the Circular Economy Days in Turku. Skön sees that the EU's proposal for a new circular economy law, which is expected in 2026, is a continuation of the regulation, in which the EU's circular economy policy is increasingly built around the entire life cycle of products. Ambition for the circular economy Skön described the EU's current circular economy regulation as still the most ambitious entity in the world, even though the political atmosphere has become more cautious since the previous Commission's Green Deal period. Although some of the regulation on the sustainability theme has recently been eased due to simplification goals, i.e. the so-called omnibus development, Skön estimates that practical market development will continue to progress towards broader sustainability information management and reporting. “We have now already turned to reporting from a voluntary and risk management perspective. Many actors have also started to look at the legislation in terms of opportunities and benefits,” he...