French Roadmap for the Circular Economy
Discussion
"Since 2003 France has introduced a series of sustainable development strategies that relate to sustainable production and consumption. The latest was the sustainable development strategy of 2015-2018 which was accompanied by the 2015 Law for Energy Transition and Green Growth.
The introduction of this new law marked an important step in France’s transition to SCP and the circular economy as this was the first time that a sustainable development strategy was supported by a law with quantitative targets.
The Law for Energy Transition and Green Growth was introduced in the lead up to the Paris Agreement of December 2015. Timed at this strategic moment, the new law sent a strong signal of France’s commitment to take a leading role in mitigating climate change and transitioning to the circular economy. At the same time the European Union was preparing the publication of the first EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy, involving a strong support and engagement from France.
Public Consultation for developing a Roadmap for the Circular Economy
One of the objectives of the 2015 Law for Energy Transition and Green Growth was the development of a Roadmap for the Circular Economy[1] which included extensive stakeholder engagement in 2017 and 2018 (see Figure 1 – to be discussed whether we reinsert it).
Around 200 participants from affected sectors (businesses, associations, communities and experts) met five times and worked together in 20 workshops divided into four specific subject areas (territories, plastics, sustainable consumption and production and economic instruments) over a period of seven months from October 2017 until April 2018. In parallel, an online platform was open for a public consultation that collected 1,800 contributions and 16,000 votes on proposals which fed into the workshops.
Objectives of the Roadmap for the Circular Economy
Following the extensive public consultations an action plan for the Roadmap was adopted by the French government in April 2018. The plan includes 50 objectives for the transition from a linear production model (“produce – consume – discard”) to a circular model that integrates the full lifecycle of products from their design stage down to waste management. The roadmap also sets targets in a number of other areas and some of the objectives have been formalized through legislative acts.
- Implementation of the Roadmap – The Anti-Waste and Circular Economy (AGEC) Law
- Roadmap for the Circular Economy (2018)
The most important legal instrument emanating from the roadmap is the Law against waste and for a circular economy (AGEC law).[3] The law is the key implementation tool of the roadmap and follows closely its measures, formalizing many of them into law and clarifying the specific tools to be used for their implementation. In total the law has 98 specific legal obligations with timetables as well as specific instruments and processes to be put in place.
The AGEC law responds directly to the roadmap proposals, defining the combination of obligations, fiscal incentives and penalties for each of the roadmap’s objectives. The list below summarises the actions the AGEC law introduces and the date of entry into force (where there is no date the entry into force is immediate).
The AGEC law states that France should completely phase out single use plastic for packaging by 2040. On plastic alone, it has been estimated that improved recycling can lead to an annual reduction of 8 million tons of CO2 equivalent. Other objectives cover product design and repairability, enhanced consumer information and the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPRs).
Specific long-term targets are divided into intermediary targets, which will be monitored to ensure France’s progress towards achieving its sustainable consumption and production objectives.
Overall, the roadmap combined with the AGEC law create a solid building block to a SCP approach, as many of the measures, such as EPR, the phase out of specific plastics and the use of penalties and incentives, specifically aim to mainstream circular practices."