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Are Soft Legal Measures in Circular Economy Action Plans Enough to Permeate EU Strong Economic Core Regulations Bringing Systemic Sustainable Change?
Summary
Researchers conducted a legal analysis of the European Union's 2015 and 2020 Circular Economy Action Plans, examining whether these policy frameworks are designed to drive genuine systemic change or are constrained by market-oriented economic principles. The study finds that most measures rely on soft, voluntary approaches that may not be strong enough to overcome the EU's core economic regulations prioritizing growth over sustainability.
Abstract This paper provides a legal assessment of the EU circular economy action plans [2015, 2020] to determine whether their implementation aims at transformative change or is embedded in the prevailing neoliberal ideology. Measures intended to promote the circular economy (CE) are classified according to their public or private nature, the degree of public or private intervention (command and control, economic instruments, information, self-control). It also analyzes how core EU economic policies shield a narrow, technocratic conception of the CE.
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