Right to Repair Coalition Statement on the European Commission’s Circular Economy Act Stakeholder Workshop

Following last Thursday’s final stakeholder workshop on the Circular Economy Act (CEA), the Right to Repair coalition is deeply concerned that the European Commission’s approach risks missing the core of what makes an economy truly circular.

Where are repair and reuse in the Circular Economy Act?

Inés Alberico, Campaign Manager for Right to Repair Europe, who attended the workshop, said:

“We’re concerned that repair and reuse are largely missing from the Circular Economy Act. Talks about preserving critical raw materials misses the point: the priority should be keeping products in use longer. The waste hierarchy is clear: rethink and reduce first; then reuse and repair; recycle only as a last resort. Prioritising repair and reuse is not only good for the planet, it also creates local quality jobs, and strengthens SMEs. ”

The coalition echoes statements by members RREUSE¹ and EEB²: despite clear evidence, the so-called Circular Economy Act is missing the point and risks turning into a de facto Recycling Act.

Our core demands, as submitted in our feedback from November 2025³:

• Harmonise and reshape Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes through revisions of the Waste Framework Directive and WEEE Directive to focus on reuse and repair before recycling.
• Set binding reuse and repair targets, ensuring that EU policies deliver tangible waste prevention outcomes.
• Require Member States to integrate repair and reuse infrastructure and services into national waste prevention plans.
• Mandate sorting by a qualified professional to assess reusability before recycling for every collected used device or e-waste item.
• Rely on a legal basis covering not only article 114 (internal market) but also an appropriate environmental article. 

A truly circular economy starts long before recycling, it begins by keeping products in use for as long as possible. The European Commission must ensure that the Circular Economy Act is fully aligned with the waste hierarchy, prioritising waste prevention over waste management. 

1.  https://www.rreuse.org/news/circular-economy-act-must-not-become-a-recycling-act-rreuse-warns
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2. https://eeb.org/en/commissions-circular-economy-act-risks-missing-the-point-eeb-warns-and-the-clock-is-ticking/ ↩︎
3. https://repair.eu/resources/r2r-input-for-circular-economy-act/ ↩︎