Italian MEP Stefano Cavedagna (ECR) has asked the European Commission to clarify how it will ensure the forthcoming circular economy act creates a functioning single market for secondary raw materials, warning that persistent national fragmentation undermines both environmental goals and market integrity. The question, submitted on 20 April 2026, targets the Commission's planned legislative proposal due in Q3 2026, which aims to make the EU a global leader in circularity by 2030.
Cavedagna's written question references the 2026 Annual Single Market and Competitiveness Report, which found that circularity is improving only slowly due to divergent national rules on waste and secondary raw materials, creating additional costs and barriers to cross-border trade. He asks two specific questions: first, how the Commission will ensure the act effectively supports an integrated market while accelerating progress on EU circularity targets; second, whether the Commission will base the act on Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) – the legal basis for harmonising single market rules – to prevent further fragmentation.
By invoking Article 114, Cavedagna signals a preference for a strong EU-level regulatory framework over a patchwork of national measures. This reflects a broader cleavage between EU integration and national sovereignty, as well as between business competitiveness and environmental ambition. A uniform framework could reduce compliance costs for companies operating across borders but may face resistance from member states with stricter national standards.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. Its answer will indicate whether it leans toward a harmonised approach or allows flexibility for national variation, and will signal the level of ambition for the circular economy act. Key stakeholders impacted include EU producers of secondary raw materials, waste management firms, national regulators, and EU consumers who could benefit from lower prices and greater availability of recycled products. A harmonised market would likely lower trade barriers and boost investment, but could also impose adjustment costs on firms accustomed to national rules.
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