On 27 and 28 February 2023, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the European Commission will host the 2023 European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference in hybrid mode. The sixth Conference will bring together Europe’s biggest circular economy stakeholders to focus on the role of the circular economy in driving sustainable recovery, open strategic autonomy and resilience. The two-day event will be an opportunity to present the circular economy as a key factor in building resource independence and resilience while ensuring that policy objectives are linked to sustainable consumption and production.

Circular economy principles allow for sustainable development by decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental impact. The principles of ‘do no harm’ and ‘build back better’ couldn’t be more in line with the circular economy, which contributes to economic and social resilience as well as to the green and digital transition. EU initiatives on circularity, ecodesign and waste prevention will also bolster efforts to achieve the zero pollution, biodiversity protection and restoration, and climate goals.

The European Commission will host Day 1 of the Conference (27 February 2023). The event will include a focus on the main issues at the heart of the negotiations taking place in 2023 and look back at the initiatives adopted in 2022 by the Commission. The plenaries will present innovative regulations and initiatives, showcase best practices of EU-funded projects and schemes and explore future developments in circular economy policies in the EU. To conclude the European Year of Youth, a youth representative will provide a perspective from a different generational angle.
The afternoon’s technical parallel sessions will discuss the transition to safe-and-sustainable chemicals, the European automotive industry driving towards circularity and the environmental and social impacts of global textiles value chains. You will be able to follow the plenary sessions and parallel sessions, broadcast live from the Commission’s Charlemagne building in Brussels (with speakers and moderators on stage).

The EESC will host Day 2 of the Conference (28 February 2023). The event will focus on stakeholders’ views in a series of sessions and two interactive workshops. The sessions and workshops will be grouped under two main topics: Biodiversity and climate and Resilience for Europe.

Day 2 also hosts our Networking Village, online and onsite. The Networking Village is an exhibition space where a selection of Circular Economy stakeholders can highlight their good practices and pitch their projects to a broad audience. So, if you have a circular project you want to share and test with peers, reply to the call for expressions of interest and we will get back to you if you are shortlisted.