EP ENVI public hearing on the Circular Economy Act

On 23 June, CEI-Bois followed the European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (EP ENVI Committee) public hearing on the upcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA), which discussed priorities for strengthening circularity in the EU.

Construction and the role of timber were largely absent from the debate, with no specific reference to wood-based construction systems or the wood value chain as part of the circular bioeconomy.

CEI-Bois reiterates its strong support for the EU circular economy transition and stresses that wood is an essential circular material, central to a competitive bioeconomy. A successful transition requires fully unlocking sustainably sourced wood and wood-based products, recognising substitution effects, and the long-term carbon storage they provide while positioning the bioeconomy as a pillar of circularity and phasing out fossil-based materials with measurable bio-based uptake targets.

CEI-Bois also calls for a Single Market for secondary raw materials, a realistic approach to targets reflecting limited secondary wood availability, exclusion of construction products from EPR, and stronger use of public procurement to drive circular markets.

A summary was shared with CEI-Bois Members, and the recording is available here.