Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have called on the European Commission to deliver on four focus points in the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA), according to a non-paper submitted for the Council (Environment) meeting on 25 June 2026. The Benelux countries urge the Commission to create a circular single market with harmonised rules, strengthen supply and demand for secondary raw materials, expand and harmonise Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks, and revise the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive to recover critical raw materials.
The non-paper, circulated as an 'Any Other Business' item for the Environment Council meeting, argues that the CEA should enable circular products to compete equally with linear products while respecting Member States' competences and reducing administrative burden. On secondary raw materials, the three countries call for harmonising waste legislation, developing EU-wide end-of-waste criteria, improving waste separation and collection, and diverting recyclable waste from landfilling and incineration. They stress that tools to monitor imported products must comply with WTO and EU FTA obligations and be verifiable by competent authorities.
On EPR, the Benelux countries advocate expanding frameworks to new product groups, addressing free-riding via online platforms, and supporting waste prevention, repair and reuse. They also call for a revision of the WEEE Directive to include requirements for prevention, repair, re-use, effective collection and high-quality treatment, aligned with the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the Critical Raw Materials Act.
The non-paper comes as the Commission prepares to propose the CEA, expected later in 2026. The Benelux intervention seeks to shape the act's scope and ambition, emphasising harmonisation and enforcement to create a level playing field for circular products. The Council is scheduled to discuss the non-paper during its meeting on 25 June 2026.