Research Article
Year 2019,
Volume: 5 Issue: 14, 694 - 701, 15.09.2019
Abstract
The transition towards a circular economy requires fundamental changes to production and consumption systems, going well beyond resource efficiency and recycling waste.Circular economy is a closed cycle covering each of the three areas: the supply and responsible choice of the producers, the demand and the consumer behaviour and the waste management. It is a model aiming at preserving and increasing the value of resources used in production and consumption, while reducing their impact on the environment, during the whole life cycle of the products. Circular economy has as its immediate objective an optimal management of all resources (material resources, energy sources, water and land use being the main issues). The objectives are to be pursued: create new opportunities for growth and economic performance while reducing resource use, boost the competitiveness and limit the environmental impacts of resource use.This change was recognized in Europe, with the European Commission’s Communication “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe”, published in January 2011(COM(2011) 571). In the following years, many European Union and national public policies and programmes were designed and introduced in order to keep abreast of the profound changes the model of circular economy and society brings into our world. In order to successfully meet the EU's resource efficiency targets by 2030, the transition to a circular economy model should become a state priority.
The aim of this paper is to draw out the differences and similarities between the EU countries regarding the transition to a circular economy model and to assess progress on this basis.
Quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed for data collection and analysis: database research and analysis, descriptive statistics, cluster analysis.
The survey results indicate the presence of too much heterogeneity among EU countries in the transition to a circular economy. This suggests that, in parallel with private sector initiatives, public authorities should coordinate, support and promote environmental, economic and social changes leading to accelerate this transition.
Keywords
circular economy sustainable development resource productivity waste managemenet cluster analysis
References
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Year 2019,
Volume: 5 Issue: 14, 694 - 701, 15.09.2019
Abstract
References
- Circular Europe Network (2015) General Guidelines for integrated circular economy strategies at local and regional level, ACR+report, may 2015 European Commission (2008), Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan {SEC(2008) 2110} {SEC(2008) 2111}, COM(2008) 397 final, Brussels. European Commission (2015), DIRECTIVE of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union amending Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment COM(2015) 593, European Commission (2015), DIRECTIVE of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union amending Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste , COM(2015) 594, European Commission (2015), DIRECTIVE of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union amending Directive 2008/98/EC on waste COM(2015) 595 and COM(2015)596 European Commission (2015), Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy, COM(2015) 614. European Commission (2018), COMMUNICATION from the Commission to the European Parliament and Council, the European economic and social committee and the Committee of the regions on a monitoring framework for the circular economy COM/2018/029 final European Commission (2017), Investing in a smart, innovative and sustainable Industry, A renewed EU Industrial Policy Strategy COM(2017) 479 https:/ / ec.europa.eu /transparency/ regdoc/rep/ 1/2017 European Union(2018), Sustainable development in the European Union, Monitoring Report on progress towards the SDGS in an EU context, 2018 edition, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/about/policies/copyright Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2015) Towards a Circular Economy: Business rationale for an accelerated transition http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/business/reports European Parliament and Council of the European Union (2013), Decision No 1386/2013/EU on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 „Living well, within the limits of our planet“. Ferreira, L., Ad. Figueiredo(2005), Welfare regimes in EU 15 and in the Enlarged Europe: An exploratory analysis, FEP Working papers. N 176, pp.1-35 Haas, W., Krausmann, F., Wiedenhofer, D., Heinz, M., (2015), How Circular is the Global Economy?: An Assessment of Material Flows, Waste Production, and Recycling in the European Union and the World in 2005, in Journal of Industrial Ecology, October 2015, Vol.19(5), pp. 765–777. Ivanova,V.,(2013) Ivanova, V.(2013) Opportunities for the Green Economy in Bulgaria, Economic Alternatives, Issue 4, 2013, pp.35-45 Ivanova,V., Slavova, I.,(2018) Ecological Transformation in Bulgaria – New Challenges to the Businesses and the Government, European Journal of Economics and Business Studies, ISSN 2411-4073 (online), May-August 2018 Volume 4, Issue 2, p.22-34 ONU(2015) Transformer notre monde : le Programme de developpement durable а l’horizon 2030, Résolution adoptée par 70ème session de l’Assemblée Générale, New York, 18 septembre 2015. Référence Nations unies: A/70/L1, http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=F
There are 1 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | September 15, 2019 |
| Submission Date | July 13, 2019 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2019Volume: 5 Issue: 14 |
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