European Sustainable Product Initiative should support SMEs in switching to circular models

Ecopreneur.eu highly welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for a European Sustainable Product Initiative. It meets key elements we have been advocating for since many years: minimum ecodesign requirements for all resource-intensive product groups (for durability, reuse, upgrading, repair, remanufacturing, recycling and the reduction of substances that compromise circularity), a digital product passport, mandatory green public procurement, extended producer responsibility with eco-modulated fees, increased market surveillance, and the development of European Circular Business Hubs.

At the same time, we urgently call for six additional policy measures to make the Initiative work for SMEs: strong regional presence of the new European Circular Business Hub, economic incentives based on True Pricing, minimised administrative burden for SMEs, easy use for SMEs of the digital product passport, exclusion of second-hand goods from the minimum requirements, and harmonised rules on penalties.