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NATRUE, together with around 70 other organisations, has signed a joint statement supporting the European Union’s ambitions for a circular economy. The statement urges that the upcoming New Circular Economy Act (CEA) be firmly grounded in an internal market legal basis (Article 114 TFEU) to ensure harmonised rules and a functioning European market for secondary raw materials.
The undersigned organisations highlight that the EU’s current waste management landscape remains highly fragmented, with uneven performance and divergent national regulatory frameworks. Nearly half of all EU countries still landfill more than 30% of their municipal waste, with four countries reaching peaks of 60–80%[1]. Meanwhile, only nine Member States are expected to meet the EU’s 2025 recycling target[2].
The recent targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) did not address these structural shortcomings, and the New CEA represents a unique opportunity to put in place common rules that ensure all Member States meet their circular economy goals, not only the front-runners.
| Dr Mark Smith, NATRUE Director General, said: “A harmonised legal basis under Article 114 TFEU can help strengthen the Single Market for secondary raw materials, support competitiveness, and reduce environmental and geopolitical risks across Europe.” |
With broad industry support across Europe, the organisations urge the European Commission and co-legislators to uphold the internal market legal basis in full, ensuring that the EU achieves ambitious circular economy targets while fostering harmonisation and sustainability across all Member States.
The letter can be read in full here.
All NATRUE contributions are available here.
References:
[1] https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/diversion-of-waste-from-landfill/municipal-waste-landfill-rates
[2] https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2025-23/SR-2025-23_EN.pdf