Brussels: The European Commission has expressed strong disapproval of the United States' decision to impose travel restrictions on five European individuals, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton. The Commission emphasized that freedom of expression is a fundamental right in Europe, shared with the United States as a core value in the democratic world.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the European Commission has also announced a new package of measures aimed at accelerating Europe's transition to a circular economy, with a particular focus on the plastics sector. These initiatives are designed to optimize plastic recycling and unlock the potential of the Single Market, enhancing the EU's economic security, strategic autonomy, competitiveness, and environmental sustainability. This aligns with the Draghi report, which emphasizes circularity and resource efficiency as critical levers for strengthening Europe's industrial competitiveness.
The Commission is pursuing a two-step approach to accelerate the transition to circularity. Initially, the package includes concrete short-term actions to support circularity, particularly in the plastics sector, while encouraging broader investment and innovation. By 2026, the Commission plans to propose a Circular Economy Act with further measures to improve the Single Market for secondary raw materials.
The absence of harmonized EU-wide rules for recycled plastics has resulted in a fragmented market. To address this, the Commission is presenting an implementing act to create EU-wide end-of-waste criteria for plastics under the Waste Framework Directive. The draft act is available for public feedback until January 2026.
In addition, the Commission is proposing rules regarding the recycled content of PET single-use plastic beverage bottles under the Single-Use Plastics Directive. These measures aim to create new opportunities for chemical recyclers and enhance legal certainty, facilitating investment in chemical recycling across Europe.
The Commission also plans to strengthen the Circular Plastics Alliance, fostering cooperation across the plastics value chain to address competitiveness and circularity challenges. Furthermore, to ensure fair competition, the Commission is creating separate customs codes for virgin and recycled plastics to support the enforcement of EU rules on imports.
To encourage investment, the Commission will support circular projects through collaboration with national banks and the European Investment Bank. It will also establish Trans-Regional Circularity Hubs to promote recycling and circular practices.
The Commission has launched a public consultation to evaluate the Single-Use Plastics Directive, examining its impact on the marine environment and human health while promoting a circular economy. The consultation is open until March 2026.
Europe is committed to accelerating its shift to a circular economy, with the goal of becoming a global leader by 2030. Today's measures are part of President von der Leyen's promise to expedite this transition, setting the stage for a robust Circular Economy Act in 2026.