Innovation Deals to promote Circular Economy

Innovation Deals to promote Circular Economy

The European Commission has launched a Call for Expressions of Interest for the pilot phase of the ‘Innovation Deals for a Circular Economy’. This new programme aims to allow innovators to swiftly address legislative obstacles, shortening the time between moment of inspiration and market uptake and promoting the achievement of EU policy objectives in the area of the Circular Economy.

Innovation Deals are a result of cooperation between the EU, innovators and national, regional and local authorities, allowing an in-depth understanding and clarification of how an EU rule or regulation applies. In practice, if a rule or regulation is confirmed as an obstacle to innovations that could bring wider societal benefits, the Innovation Deal will make it visible and feed into possible further action.

At this Call, launched on 26 May 2016, applicants are asked to submit their expressions of interest, outlining their innovations and identifying where they think EU regulatory frameworks are causing a blockage in getting their innovation to market, always without compromising any environmental, social or competition principles, existing standards or national legislation.

This Call for Expressions of Interest will close on 15 September 2016 and the signature of the Innovation Deals will take place in the beginning of 2017.