Some announcements are merely incantations, while others mark a genuine change of direction.
The package of measures presented by the European Commission in favor of the circular economy, and more specifically the plastics sector, clearly falls into the second category.
While some public policies, particularly in France, are content to reiterate abstract or even unattainable objectives, or to impose new constraints, the EU is tackling the structural barriers that prevent circularity from functioning on an industrial scale: market fragmentation, unfair competition, regulatory instability, and a lack of visibility for investment.
This is a development that Plastalliance has been calling for for years and that I theorized in "Plastic bashing: Misinformation?" (Le Cherche Midi, October 2023).
Thank you, "Super Mario."
The Commission now has a clear message: circularity is not just an environmental issue, it is a lever for competitiveness, economic security, and strategic autonomy.
This interpretation is fully in line with the findings of the Draghi report published in September 2024, the "compass of the compass" as I have called it, which reminds us that Europe will not win the industrial battle without making more efficient use of its resources.
The figures cited by the Joint Research Center are unambiguous:
- up to 45% reduction in climate emissions for the sector,
- better energy decarbonization,
- and an annual improvement in the trade balance of €18 billion by 2050.
In other words, circularity is not a moral luxury, but an economic necessity.
A clear-headed diagnosis of the European recycling crisis
The Commission finally puts into words what manufacturers are seeing on the ground:
- persistent fragmentation of recycled plastics markets,
- high energy costs,
- volatility of virgin plastic prices,
- unfair competition from third countries (China is not mentioned, but everyone knows it is meant)
- financial losses and underutilization of recycling capacity.
This clarity is beneficial.
Because without a market, there is no circularity. And without clear rules, there is no investment.
End of waste status: a structural advance
One of the most significant announcements was the creation of European criteria for determining when plastics cease to be waste.
This is a key measure.
Finally, it allows recycled plastics to be considered for what they really are: secondary raw materials, intended to circulate freely within the single market.
For recyclers—and especially SMEs—this means:
- simplified administrative procedures, particularly for micro-enterprises and SMEs
- enhanced legal certainty,
- smoother access to European markets,
- and consistent quality of recycled materials.
This is exactly the kind of pragmatic decision that the industry needed.
Recycled content and chemical recycling: putting an end to false debates
Another important signal: the enforcement act relating to recycled content in PET bottles.
The Commission explicitly recognizes that chemical recycling, under strict conditions, can contribute to European objectives in addition to mechanical recycling.
This is a long-awaited clarification that puts an end to fruitless ideological debates and paves the way for:
- greater legal certainty,
- balanced technological recognition,
- and, above all, to unlocking essential industrial investments.
Fair competition: an essential prerequisite
Creating separate customs codes for virgin and recycled plastics is a long-awaited common-sense measure.
It will finally enable:
- better traceability,
- effective enforcement of European rules,
- and effective control of imports.
The announced monitoring of global plastics markets is also essential.
European circularity will not survive if it is systematically undermined by imported products that do not comply with the same environmental standards or social requirements.
Investing, innovating, cooperating: rediscovering the industrial dimension
Support for circular projects via the European Investment Bank, national banks, and transregional circularity hubs marks a return to a clear industrial approach.
Circularity requires:
- volumes,
- smart specialization,
- cross-border cooperation,
- and long-term visibility.
The Competitiveness Coordination Tool (CCT) is a step in the right direction.
Evaluating the SUP Directive: finally opening the debate
Finally, the announced evaluation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive is an essential step.
Evaluating does not mean giving up: it means checking whether the objectives have been achieved, at what cost, and with what real effects on the environment, health, and industry.
Plastalliance will participate fully in this consultation, convinced that a credible policy must be based on measurable results, not assumptions.
A welcome change, to be confirmed over time
This package of measures does not solve everything.
As long as landfilling and incineration of plastic packaging remain structurally more profitable than recycling, circularity will remain fragile, despite the best regulatory intentions.
A circular economy cannot be built on weak disincentives.
As long as we continue to use taxation and economic models to steer material flows toward easy solutions (landfilling or incineration, even for energy production) rather than value-added solutions (recycling, reincorporation, reindustrialization), the waste management market will do what it has always done: pursue profitability.
Discouraging the landfilling and incineration of plastic packaging on a massive scale is therefore not an ideological stance: it is an industrial necessity.
It is the logical complement to the end of waste status, the revival of the recycled materials market, and the securing of investments.
If Europe truly wants recycled plastic to find its place, then it must make it economically inconsistent to destroy it. The circular economy law announced for 2026 will be a real test.
Brussels has opened the right door. Now we must ensure that the easiest exits do not remain open.
