News, blogs and press releases

The European Sustainable Business Federation – Ecopreneur.eu – welcomes the Polluter Pays Principle fitness check as a basis for recommendations in 2024 on how to better implement the principle. Existing EU regulation is inadequate. All prices should reflect the true costs of external environmental and social impacts. This requires an…

Consumers need to be empowered to take informed purchasing decisions based on clear and trustworthy information, enabling them to play an active role in the green transition. In a joint position paper with Werner & Mertz, Remondis, Alpla and the 3000 sustainable frontrunners from our membership, we call on the…

The mandatory targets for waste reduction, recycled content, reuse and refill suggested by the European Commission in their reviewed packaging & packaging waste regulation (PPWR) are ambitious and constructive. Watering them down before they cross the regulatory finish line would be counterproductive for green innovation, the advance of the circular…

An ambitious review the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) is fundamental for reducing waste and improving waste collection to prevent primary resources from being lost at industrial scale. In a position paper shared with European lawmakers on behalf of our sustainable member organisations, Ecopreneur.eu, we emphasise that a meaningful revision must…

On June 27nd 2022, Ecopreneur.eu hosted the second European Members’ Conference. It brought together the members from our seven national associations with high-ranking EU lawmakers, giving them an exclusive opportunity to learn - and raise questions – about new EU legislation and how it will affect their businesses. Keynote speakers…

Our position paper about "Substantiating Green Claims" hails the European Commission’s consumer protection initiative as an important step to unmask and inhibit deliberate false claims and early obsolescence practices. An ambitious regulatory framework with strict rules and sanctions will strengthen the consumers’ trust and help them recognise businesses with genuinely…

In our position paper on the EU Directive on Sustainable Consumption of Goods Promoting Repair and Reuse, also know as “Right to Repair”, Ecopreneur.eu supports the European Commission’s initiative to extend the lifetime of consumer products through improved quality and ease of repair while promoting the purchase of second-hand and…

The EU wide project "Fashion for Change" launched an open call for SMEs, fashion designers and start-ups to participate in an Accelerator Programme aiming to bring circular fashion products, services and applications to scale. The 3-year project is funded by the European Commission's COSME Programme and run by a consortium…

Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, welcomes the European Council's decision on updated rules for VAT rates as a step in the right direction.  The phase out of reduced rates or exemptions for environmentally harmful goods such as fossil fuels and chemical pesticides was long overdue. Equally important is the…

In a fashion market that favours fast returns over sustainability, setting-up and running a business with circularity at its core is an uphill battle. A new study drafted by Ecopreneur.eu as part of our "Fashion for Change" project confronts some of the common business challenges with proven solutions and recommendations:…

One important part of our mission at Ecopreneur.eu is to bring sustainable pioneers together while advocating better market conditions for them to thrive. Just like we did at this year’s “European Impact Hero”, an accelerator programme organized by the Center for Open Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. The accelerator offers…

Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, calls on the European Commission to pursue an EU-wide ban on landfill for non-pre-treated municipal waste by 2030 in view of the methane pledge at COP26 and the overall target of climate neutrality by 2050. At COP26, more than 100 countries committed to reducing…

In a public communication, the European Sustainable Business Federation calls on President Emmanuel Macron to make best use of the French Presidency of the EU Council, starting in January 2022, by pushing on with the European Green Deal and NextGenerationEU green recovery strategies. This implies that all related EU policies…

Europe’s efforts to go climate-neutral by 2050 could be undermined by imports from countries outside the EU that are less strict about emissions. This would lead to an unfair price advantage of dirty imports over sustainable products from the EU. In a response to a public consultation, Ecopreneur.eu therefore welcomes…

Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, advocates against including natural gas and nuclear power plants as sustainable investments in the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy. This proposal was recently announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. First of all, it would reduce incentives for energy saving and draws investments…

Would you like to take an active part in developing a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) methodology as part of the EU „ORIENTING“ project? Then join us by participating in our market potential survey, - it will only take 5 minutes of your time. The purpose of an LCSA is…

In a response to a public consultation about the “Technical Screening Criteria”, Ecopreneur.eu calls on the European Commission to extend the scope of the future EU “green Taxonomy” to sectors and companies that make a substantial contribution to reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions. In the current draft proposal, selection…

Are you a student who likes to communicate in the form of short, catchy texts and call Instagram and Twitter your home? Do you have a passion for sustainability and sustainable fashion in particular? Then Ecopreneur.eu – the European Sustainable Business Federation – might have a vibrant 6-month internship for…

Ecopreneur.eu and our member organisations have been demanding the inclusion of social criteria in a comprehensive taxonomy for sustainable finance from the start. We therefore welcome the European Commission’s draft for a Social Taxonomy that would include social criteria in addition to economic and environmental aspects as part of the…

The “Green City Accord” is a movement by European mayors to make our cities greener, cleaner and healthier. At a time when over 70% of EU citizens live in urban areas (projected to be 80% by 2050) and environmental challenges are expected to further increase, signatories commit on addressing five…

When it comes to textiles, the European Commission considers Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes as a regulatory measure to promote sustainable textiles. However, it still remains to be seen whether setting up EPR schemes will become mandatory for all EU Member States and whether criteria for EPR schemes for textiles…

Ecopreneur.eu and its member organisations greatly welcome the European Commission’s proposal for a Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) but six policy measures will be essential to make it work for SMEs The goal of the forthcoming regulation, which is expected in December 2021, is to make products fit for a climate…

This week the Responsible Business Forum Estonia was welcomed in the ranks of Ecopreneur.eu. The Forum brings together enterprises for whom it is important to ensure the sustainability of their company, society and country. The Forum has 78 members including businesses, social enterprises and SMEs. They run programs for companies…

The Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) will soon become the "Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). A draft delegated act by the European Commission aims to create a set of rules that will – over time – bring sustainability reporting on a par with financial reporting. It will extend the EU's sustainability…

Production of new clothes consumes enormous amounts of chemicals and causes 10% of global GHG emissions. Second-hand decreases the need for new clothes. Once produced, these clothes should be worn for as long as possible before being fully recycled.  But what can be done to make this circular concept work?…

Brussels - On behalf of the "Fashion for Change" accelerator project, Ecopreneur.eu would like to hear the opinion of stakeholders on how to best clear the way for sustainable fashion. This EU-funded initiative is designed to help innovative start-ups and SMEs across Europe implement and scale up circular fashion models.…

On March 15th, the Council of the European Union adopted the new EU chemicals strategy for a toxic-free environment, advising the European Commission and the Member States to “fully implement the Chemicals Strategy, within their powers, without undue delay”. The Strategy puts in place a long-term vision for the EU…

Responding to a call for feedback by the European Commission, Ecopreneur.eu reiterates that a modern EU business taxation framework should make best use of two key levers to drive the transition to a circular economy: a tax shift from labour to resources and, as part of that, a temporarily reduced…

The Green Alley Award is the first European contest to boost innovations around circularity, sustainable resources management and systematic “waste” reduction – from new products to services and technologies. It is designed for green startups based in Europe that are no older than 5 years and still in their early…

Ecopreneur.eu has kicked-off with a three-year EU-Horizon 2020 funded project called "ORIENTING" to develop a robust and operational methodology for the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) of products and services. The "S" from "Sustainability" indicates that this LCA method will consider environmental, social and economic impacts in an integrated way.…

Ecopreneur.eu has kicked-off with a EU-COSME funded project “Fashion For Change”. Over the next three years, we will help SMEs, designers and start-ups from the European fashion sector scale-up and accelerate their sustainable businesses while increasing awareness about circular fashion among stakeholders, including consumers. The five consortium partners Civitta Eesti…

Photograph © European Union 2021 – EP/Alexis Haulot On February 10, the European Parliament has adopted a report by MEP Jan Huitema (Renew) with calls for tighter EU consumption and recycling rules. Ecopreneur.eu greatly welcomes the report, which was written in response to the Circular Economy Action Plan from the European…

In a position paper, Ecopreneur.eu and its member organisations call on the European Commission to integrate a number of essential economic, regulatory and educational instruments into the new “EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles”. The goal of the forthcoming Strategy, which is due in autumn 2021, is to spur a carbon…

Together with our Dutch research partner TNO (www.tno.nl), Ecopreneur.eu is putting green SMEs into the starting blocks for new HORIZON EU research and innovation projects. The programme runs from 2021 until 2027 and has a budget of about €95.5 billion. Ecopreneur.eu and TNO currently invite interested companies through a 5-minute…

In a response to a public consultation by the European Commission about “Reducing packaging waste – review of rules” (initiative 12263), the European Sustainable Business Federation and its member organisations highlight the importance of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), pointing out that recyclability and recycled content should be considered key requirements…

The EU has set aside €265 billion for the green transition. Over the next seven years, 37% of the „Next Generation EU“ COVID-19 recovery budget will be explicitly reserved for green investments, including the transition toward a fair, carbon neutral circular economy. Thanks to the negotiations efforts by the European…

Lack of access to finance is a major obstacle for SMEs. Since most eco-innovations come from SMEs, a good taxonomy could greatly accelerate the circular economy in Europe. For this reason, the European Sustainable Business Federation strongly supports policy objectives to improve the access to finance for green companies while…

In a letter sent to Prime Minister António Costa, the European Sustainable Business Federation calls on the forthcoming Portuguese Presidency of the EU Council to support SMEs in their transition towards a low-carbon circular economy by making best use of the EU budget and NextGenerationEU recovery package. According to Ecopreneur.eu,…

In October 2020, Ecopreneur.eu launched its own YouTube channel featuring recordings of relevant webinars, workshops and presentations we've been involved in, - all about promoting the circular economy. With so many events taking place online and so little time to attend them, the new YouTube channel offers an opportunity to…

During the 2020 European Circular Economy Stakeholder Conference in November, Ecopreneur.eu had the the opportunity to moderate and facilitate a total of four virtual workshops that were prepared by members of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform Coordination Group (ECESP-CG). The annual conference brings together representatives from businesses, public authorities,…

THIS EVENT WAS FULLY BOOKED AND A VIDEO HAS BEEN PUBLISHED    A video registration of this workshop explaining the use of the Circularity Checklist can be viewed here. ` Also, you can still register for the use of the Circularity Check and get started!  Ecopreneur.eu, the Estonian Responsible Business…

Brussels – Green recovery in Europe can be considerably accelerated by setting up circular acceleration houses in all EU regions to support SMEs and start-ups with developing and implementing low-carbon circular models. SMEs and start-ups play a pivotal role in accelerating the transition to a circular economy. However, their operation,…

Brussels – Today, Ecopreneur.eu gave a list of recommendations to substantiate green claims, including mandatory gate-to-gate lifecycle assessments (LCAs) for all companies. This in feedback on an Open Consultation by the European Commission.   Ecopreneur.eu welcomes the European Commission’s initiative for a legislative proposal on substantiating green claims for products…

Brussels – Yesterday, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) published a paper on economic incentive policies. It was written by the ECESP Leadership Group (LG) consisting of the EEB, BusinessEurope, IRCEM, FEAD, WMRC, MWE, INEC, Ecoembes and led by Ecopreneur.eu. The paper outlines seven economic incentives that are instrumental…

Brussels, 7 July 2020 - Effecitive immedeately, Ecopreneur.eu has moved to the SPACES European District centre at Rue Belliard 40. Our new address is: Ecopreneur.eu Rue Belliard 40 1040 Brussels BELGIUM Our old address was: Boulevard Saint-Michel 75, 1040 Brussels The new address is already operational. The old address will…

Brussels, 3 July 2020 - With thanks to conference organiser prof. Jan Jonker, Ecopreneur.eu has presented an offline keynote presentation "‘New business models: from niche to mainstream" at the 5th International Conference on New Business Models. The video registration can be viewed below. For the powerpoint presentation click here, and the keynote…

Brussels, 28 May 2020 - Ecopreneur.eu has sent a letter to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel to convey our priorities to the German EU presidency, starting from the 1st of July 2020. In a letter to Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel, Ecopreneur.eu urges the German government to maintain the high…

Brussels, 20 December 2019: A few days ago the EU Council, Parliament and Commission reached an agreement on a sustainable finance rulebook for investments supporting the climate goals. Ecopreneur.eu welcomes the adopted regulation that will support green investments without adding red tape for green SMEs.  Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business…

Green companies including about 2900 SMEs and 100 large businesses call upon the EU to launch a Green Deal with a Circular Economy Action Plan generating strong traction to low-carbon circular products and services. Click here for the letter and here to co-sign or support  

The Ecopreneur Board has appointed Arthur ten Wolde as executive director of Ecopreneur. Manfred Mühlberger, Chairman of Ecopreneur: "Arthur ten Wolde has already been working as our circular economy expert since the start in 2016. He will now work with the Board to expand and consolidate Ecopreneur as the political…

The policy proposals from Ecopreneur for circular fashion were very well received during the highly successful “European Forum on Eco-innovation” from the European Commission, which took place in Vienna on 7-8 May. The event focused on delivering circularity in the textiles sector. During the conference, the recommendations for accelerating and…

An overview for all EU member states reveals 28 different paths towards the “circular economy” with inspiring best practices. Countries leading the way typically have the highest waste production as well. The member states’ path into the “circular economy” reflects their unique character, the presence of leadership and inspiring examples…

On 27 March 2019, Ecopreneur participated in the lively “European Consumer Day" organised by the European Social and Economic Committee (EESC) in Brussels. Circular Economy expert Arthur ten Wolde presented the conclusions from a recent study "Circular Fashion Advocacy" and took part in a workshop on consumer behaviour.  During a…

Welcome to our March newsletter! Dear reader, Please find below the March 2019 Newsletter from Ecopreneur.eu, the European Federation of Sustainable Business. We hope you enjoy reading it and let’s keep in touch! Kind regards, The Ecopreneur Team Please click here to see the newsletter.        In This…

  Waste and pollution from the production of textiles and clothing have become critical global issues. With only one percent of fibres being recycled, the current ‘linear’ model is outdated and unsustainable. There is an urgent need for a strategy to transform industry into a circular model. A new report…

We are happy to announce that Ecopreneur.eu has been selected as an expert to participate in workshops of the Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance and the development of a sustainable taxonomy. The European Commission recently appointed Technical Expert Groups to develop a "taxonomy of economic activities that contribute to…

Interview by UnternehmensGrün with Arthur ten Wolde, Circular Economy Expert of Ecopreneur.eu.  Also published in Forum Nachhaltig Wirtschaften magazine (pp. 60-61). Could you tell us something about Ecopreneur.eu? UnternehmensGrün is a founding member of Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation.Ecopreneur.eu is the political voice in Brussels of sustainable businesses all across Europe,…

Ecopreneur.eu is proud to participate as SMEs representative in the Ecodesign and Energy Labelling Consultation Forum (EELCF) from the European Commission. Our first meeting took place on the 1st of February in Brussels. The first meeting with Ecopreneur.eu was a rather exceptional one, having been called together in response to…

Product policy is crucial for realising the circular economy. Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, has filed its response with position paper to the public consultation “Towards an EU Product Policy Framework contributing to the Circular Economy”. Ecopreneur.eu welcomes this consultation and urges the next European Commission to prioritise the circular…

In this issue you find the January 2019 Newsletter from Ecopreneur.eu, the European Federation of Sustainable Business. We hope you enjoy reading it and let’s keep in touch! Kind regards, The Ecopreneur Team. In this issue: What’s new in Brussels? Update on the Ban of single-use plastics      …

Ecopreneur.eu, MVO Nederland and WeSustain are happy to invite you to another Circularity Check webinar. It will take place on January 22, 2019 at 10:00 CET. There is no registration. For the login information see below.  The first Circularity Check webinar was successfully held back in December. During the 45-minute…

Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, has filed its feedback on the public consultation concerning the European Commission’s Communication on a Roadmap for Taxation - more efficient EU law-making procedures. Taxation policy is crucial for realising the circular economy. The economic framework should foster delivering circular products and services. To…

Ecopreneur.eu welcomes the final decision of the European Council and Parliament concerning restrictions on a range of disposable plastic products. On Wednesday morning a legislative text was finally accepted after a long-term decision-making process. The first proposal on waste reduction for single-use plastics was put forward by the European Commission…

Ecopreneur.eu welcomes a decision made by European governments to compel manufacturers to make refrigerators more easily repairable. Refrigerators have significant volumes of sales and trade in the EU. At the same time, they have a significant adverse environmental impact and present significant potential for improvement through design, without entailing excessive…

December 12, 2018 - EU funding for regional development and cohesion should not be used to subsidise the incineration of unsorted municipal waste. Ecopreneur.eu fully supports this position. According to Zero Waste Europe, such funding was widely used to finance incinerators and waste-to-energy plants, thereby reducing the incentive to collect…

The first Circularity Check webinar was successfully held on Tuesday, 4 December. It was organised by WeSustain, Ecopreneur.eu and MVO Nederland. A workshop and follow-up webinar are planned.  The Circularity Check is a free online scan tool with a questionnaire of about 60 questions for SMEs and companies. It determines…

Brussels, 28 November 2018 - Ecopreneur.eu, MVO Nederland and WeSustain will organise a webinar and a workshop about the Circularity Check in December 2018 and January 2019. The interest in the circular economy is growing. But how to define, what exactly is circular? At the moment very few scans for measuring circularity…

Ecopreneur, the European Sustainable Business Federation, supports the Single Use Plastics directive and does not consider it a threat to the internal market. This in contrast to the European packaging industry association EUROPEN.  Now that the European Council is entering final negotiations with the Parliament on tough new restrictions on…

On October 30th - 31st 2018, the Purpose Foundation and Purpose gGmbH were co-organizers of the Steward-Ownership Conference 2018 in Berlin, Germany, along with the companies GLS Bank and bio verlag. These companies are members of UnternehmensGrün, the German founding member of Ecopreneur.eu. Steward-ownership refers to forms of responsible management…

Dear reader, Please find below the November 2018 Newsletter from Ecopreneur, the European Federation of Sustainable Business. We hope you enjoy reading it and let’s keep in touch! Kind regards, The Ecopreneur Team. In This Issue  What’s new in Brussels? Check out your Circularity            …

In response to a public consultation on the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation, Ecopreneur has urged to EU to prevent substances of very high concern (SVHC) from being used in products on the EU market. The sooner companies stop using them, the sooner we can create a circular economy, which consists…

Brussels, October 25th, 2018: How circular are the products and services your company puts on the market? Ecopreneur.eu, the European Sustainable Business Federation, has launched a user-friendly and free Circularity Check in the form of an online questionnaire, in cooperation with MVO Nederland and WeSustain. Read more...

Where: Moldoveneşti, România Hosting Organisation: Institute for Research in Circular Economy  and Environment “Ernest Lupan” (IRCEM)  When: 1 – 12 November 2018 Accommodation and meals: fully covered by Erasmus+ programme Travel costs: Covered by the Erasmus+ Programme up to a limit of € 275 (as for Erasmus+ Guidelines and Distance Calculator)

Smart&Green on stage is an international business event that brings together innovative startups and strategic investors for a full day of high-level networking. This forward thinking event will take place on October 18th, at the EUREF Campus – the nexus of Berlin’s startup scene to create a matchmaking environment for investors, startups, economic…

Brussels, 6 September 2018 Today, Ecopreneur co-signed a letter from a broad NGO coalition including Zero Waste Europe, the EEB and WWF supporting the recent proposal of the c for legislation to curb single-use plastics. The NGO letter forms a response to a recent one from the European Packaging industry,…

On the 24th of May, C&A Foundation, together with Ecopreneur.EU and the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) hosted a Circular Fashion Policy Lab at the Europan Economic and Social Committee (EESC) in Brussels. The purpose of the event was to bring together representatives from across the fashion industry to…

28-06-2018, Vienna, Austria During the last session of the “Economic Parliament” of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Grüne Wirtschaft advocated for a Circular Economy as one of the upcoming key projects in Europe. The transition needs commitment from all sides, especially from entrepreneurs and enterprises. Therefore Grüne Wirtschaft presented a…

Alyssa Jade McDonald-Bärtl, social entrepreneur and board member of Ecopreneur.eu was appointed as member of Coordination Group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (CESP).  The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform will focus on three pillars: Policy dialogue (Pillar I), a coordination group bringing together circular economy-related stakeholders (networks, platform,…

            In This Issue  News & Recent Developments Publications About Ecopreneur.eu             Highlight Ecopreneur.eu was appointed to participate in the European Circular Economy Platform #CEStakeholderEU Keep Up With Us  Facebook  Twitter Welcome to our first newsletter! Dear readers, Ecopreneur.eu's influence…

How do Europe's ecodesign measures affect the circular economy in low-income countries? This question was discussed in a recently published paper written by Green Alliance, a partner of UnternehmensGrün in the ACES-Project, on behalf of Tearfund. In many low-income countries, according to the authors, the circular economy generates millions of…

Workshop “Sustainable Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation & Entrepreneurial Skills"   Malaga, Spain (19.-22.04.2017): For four days in April the New Economy & Social Innovation Forum (NESI Forum), took place in Malaga, Spain. It was a gathering of sustainability representatives from all over the world to share and exchange knowledge, best-practice and…

Ecopreneurs for the Climate (ECO4CLIM) is a nonprofit organization seeking to boost the creation and scale up the impact of cooperative, sustainable, and sound businesses that tackle climate change. It began operations in 2015 with the first Global Week of Green Business and the Climate Movement (ECO4CLIM15), where more than…