The circular economy transition needs new partnerships, rules and business readiness. The EU Circular Economy Resource Centre (EU CERC) is an initiative aiming at accelerating the global transition to a circular economy. We want to increase the uptake of sound and inclusive circular economy practices, policies and business models globally.

The centre serves as a collaboration platform between the EU and partner countries to ensure that the circular economy can advance fast enough and on a large enough scale. We provide accessible resources, expertise and guidance, and share knowledge to support success. We work in close collaboration with the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF) and its partners—a platform facilitating global collaboration since 2017.

The work is designed to complement and add value to existing initiatives that support countries’ work on the circular transition.

The circular economy is good for business, decent jobs, strong and resilient economies, and the environment. It also provides an opportunity for driving a balanced societal development and a just and inclusive transition empowering young people and women.

At the same time, countries face increasing pressure to adopt circular economy practices: shifting geopolitical landscape, emission reduction targets, resource scarcity and biodiversity loss. Simultaneously, the EU’s vision of a circular single market, defined in the Circular Economy Action Plan, is raising the requirements on products and services provided by partner countries.

The circular transition cannot be achieved alone—we need global collaboration to do it together. Value chains for products and materials are global and transnational, and measures are needed across borders and value chains.

Building mutually beneficial partnerships facilitates the exchange of knowledge, best practices and lessons learned between EU and partner countries, leveraging capacities that drive progress towards circularity.

Despite a growing pool of circular economy experience and knowledge, much of these often remain out of reach for those who need it most—policymakers and businesses striving to make this shift. There’s a clear disconnect between what’s available and what’s accessible to policymakers and businesses in need of guidance.

Through the EU CERC, we link the supply to the demand, building mutually beneficial partnerships between the EU and partner countries. We want to ensure future prosperity and resilience globally with the circular economy—for everyone.

With the EU CERC, we want to work together to help transform economies. We bring support to decision makers to adjust policies, creating an enabling operating environment for the circular economy. We also help enterprises and organisations to take up circular economy business models and create circular ecosystems.

This is done by mobilising EU circular economy know-how and learnings to meet partner countries’ needs, through three labs.

We can help your circular economy project needs through:

• Technical assistance: Providing access to EU circular economy know-how based on requests
• Peer-to-peer learning: Facilitating exchange and matchmaking between diverse stakeholders in the EU and partner countries, and arranging study visits to the EU
• Research support: Sharing foresight and expertise across sectors and policy areas
• Collaboration support with various stakeholders
• Compliance support in preparation for new EU policies including the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), to facilitate market access.