EUMEPS has joined more than 30 European associations, national organisations and companies in signing the publication Strategic Recommendations for a Resilient and Circular Plastic Value Chain in Europe. This joint initiative reflects growing concern across the plastics value chain regarding Europe’s declining industrial competitiveness, rising energy costs, and increasing regulatory fragmentation.
The publication puts forward a shared set of policy recommendations aimed at restoring a level playing field, strengthening circularity, and securing long-term investment conditions for plastics manufacturing and recycling in Europe. By endorsing this document, EUMEPS contributes to a coordinated, value-chain-wide position addressed to EU policymakers and national authorities.
A common response to mounting industrial and regulatory pressure
Recent data underline the scale of the challenge faced by the European plastics sector. Production volumes have declined significantly in recent years, while growth in recycling capacity has slowed, and several facilities have closed across Member States. At the same time, European operators face rising energy prices and increasing competition from imports produced under less stringent environmental and regulatory conditions.
Against this backdrop, the signatories stress that Europe’s circular economy objectives cannot be achieved without a competitive industrial base. The recommendations, therefore, focus on reconnecting circularity, climate objectives and industrial policy, while ensuring that existing EU legislation is implemented and enforced consistently across the Single Market.
For EUMEPS, this approach is particularly relevant for EPS applications, which depend on predictable regulatory frameworks, efficient collection and recycling systems, and fair market conditions to continue contributing to resource efficiency and climate objectives.
Six strategic recommendations for a competitive and circular plastics market
The publication is structured around six core recommendations, reflecting priorities shared across the plastics value chain:
- Restore fair competition and promote circular plastics made in Europe
Ensuring equivalent requirements for imports, strengthening incentives for EU recycling, and reforming public procurement to support high-quality European recyclates.
- Cut energy costs and support circular plastics to compete globally
Improving access to affordable energy, tax relief and targeted State aid for recycling, converting and compounding activities.
- End loopholes in verification and enforcement
Strengthening market surveillance, customs controls, traceability tools and harmonised verification frameworks to ensure compliance by both EU producers and imports.
- Implement and enforce EU law consistently
Ensuring harmonised application of recycled content targets, clearer legal interpretation, streamlined permitting and reporting procedures, and effective penalties where rules are breached.
- Catalyse innovation and private investment
Supporting breakthrough technologies, scaling collection and sorting infrastructure, and creating regulatory conditions that reduce investment risk while supporting existing capacities.
- Enhance Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for a fair circular market
Harmonising EPR rules and definitions across the EU, introducing eco-modulated fees that reward recyclability and recycled content, and ensuring balanced governance structures.
Together, these recommendations aim to create a stable and coherent framework that enables circular solutions to scale while maintaining Europe’s industrial base.
EUMEPS’ commitment to a coordinated European approach
By signing this joint publication, EUMEPS reaffirms its commitment to a science-based, economically viable and policy-consistent transition towards a circular plastics economy. The association supports a framework that recognises the role of plastics applications, including EPS, in delivering insulation performance, resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact when managed responsibly.
The full publication is available for download. The number of co-signatories continues to grow, reflecting broad support across the plastics value chain for a coordinated European response to shared industrial and environmental challenges.
