Institute for European Env Policy: Circular economy, trade and development

Description What is done in the programme or project and why, what results are pursued, who benefits from the activities and who are involved in the implementation.

The strategic aim of the project is to promote sustainable economic development in developing countries by improving their possibilities to benefit from the EU:s circular economy policy through trade and to prevent possible risks. The carbon neutral resource efficient circular economy advances the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change as well as the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Finland is a circular economy leader and the EU has agreed a comprehensive legislative package on the circular economy. The circular economy transition has the potential to provide important positive opportunities for developing countries. Developing countries can integrate into sustainable global value chains and simultaneously bring their own circular economy solutions to international markets. The EU:s and Finland’s circular economy policy can open up new development and business opportunities for developing countries through trade and trade policy. The circular economy transition and circular economy solutions provide new decent jobs and advance the creation of higher value-added jobs. These opportunities should be identified and advanced. At the same time, also potential risks should be identified. This project serves as a strategic incubator for this new topic, by producing a background paper, organizing a technical workshop in conjunction with the World Circular Economy Forum, WCEF2019 in Helsinki, and organizing a seminar in Brussels on trade and the circular economy during the Finnish EU presidency. The project will be implemented by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), a Brussels-based solid and reliable think tank. The project will be implemented during 2019. TUO-10 is proposing that the project is funded at EUR 50 000, which will be used for the background paper produced by IEEP, the technical workshop and the seminar organized in Brussels. The project will be implemented through a direct purchase agreement.