Achieving a circular economy is a challenge of increasing importance for businesses, citizens and consumers: innovators, policy-makers and regulators need to create a synergy linking environmental and economic performance.

Against such background, the Conference on Circular Economy and the Law: Innovation, Policies and Regulation for a Sustainable Environment critically assessed, in law and economics and policy-oriented perspectives, current policies and legal rules for achieving a ‘circular economy’; management of material flows; value, management and rights on waste; and instruments for tackling planned obsolescence – especially in the digital economy – as a disruptive phenomenon for both consumer rights and environment.

International academics from a law and economics background, national and international policy-makers and enterprise representatives, presented their unique points of view as well as proposals for the further development of regulations. Indeed, this mix of law and economics created the ground for fruitful debates. The result was a clear picture on the state of the art of the circular economy and its implementation from different perspectives, as well as fruitful insights and proposals for further development of EU and national legislation.

In the framework of this Conference, the scope, aims and methods of the new UniFe PhD programme in ‘Environmental Sustainability and Wellbeing’ were presented and discussed.

The Conference took place in partnership with the European Commission’s EUGreenWeek 2019.

More information about the Conference is available in the agenda.