This year, the conference took place under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the EU and in conjunction with the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF).
The event was a key opportunity for the European and international circular economy community to come together, exchange views and follow engaging discussions on the role of circular economy across industries and borders, this year with a focus on how to “turn circular visions into action”.
The conference reflected upon the last ten years of implementation of the circular economy around the globe and in Europe. This conference came at a key moment, where “a modest decoupling of EU resource consumption from economic growth can be observed”, but where more needs to be done for the EU to reach its 2030 circularity targets, according to the EEA’s recent report on Accelerating the circular economy in Europe - State and outlook 2024.
The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference constituted a distinct track of the WCEF, with five sessions spanning across two days. Representatives from the EU also participated in other sessions of the WCEF and will be present in the exhibition area.
The sessions on day one of the Conference, hosted by the European Commission, sheded light on the engine behind the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference and allowed for discussions on its role and potential. In two panel debates, speakers took stock of the progress achieved so far in the circularity transition and discuss the efforts that need to be made in the next European mandate. Participants will also examine the impact of circular economy and sustainability legislation on trade.
On day two, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee, the sessions brought together stakeholders and changemakers to explore the role of cities and regions in the transition to a circular economy. Discussions also delved into how circular economy models address the needs for critical raw materials.
Speaking about the conference, the Director-General of the Commission's DG Environment, Florika Fink-Hooijer, said:
"We all have a collective responsibility to move towards greater circularity. It is key for our competitiveness and to reduce our dependencies. We discussed the progress we have made so far and explore how to step up our action for a circular future."