CIRCTER

ACR+ is part of a consortium working for ESPON (European Territorial Observatory Network, aiming to inspire policy-making with territorial evidence) on a new study named CIRCTER — Circular Economy and Territorial Consequence.

Project co-funded by the European Commission under the EPSON 2020 Cooperation Programme, 2017 - 2019.

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The main objective of this service on Circular Economy is to provide evidence on the territorial dimension of the transition towards a Circular Economy and to provide evidence on local and regional patterns and flows of materials, including resources and waste. The analysis of the territorial dimension aims to cover changes in resource use, design, production, distribution, consumption and waste management. In addition, it aims to provide input to European regions and cities on their potential for implementing steps towards a circular economy.

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ACR+ mainly worked on a relatively comprehensive but not exhaustive review of policies that had been contributing to the transition towards a circular economy on different administrative levels: EU, national, regional and local. The second main task of ACR+ is to collaborate on the CIRCTER Case Studies that are aimed at taking stock and grasping what has been done and what can be done in relation to implementing a circular economy in European regions, cities and metropolitan areas. Three out of the six cases analysed are taken from ACR+ members: Scotland (UK), Brussels-Capital Region (BE) and Maribor (SL). 

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The CIRCTER Final Report is delivered as a set of 13 documents, all of which are available for download from the project website. The Main Report provides an overview of the main findings from the different research tasks in the CIRCTER project and delivers selected policy messages with European coverage. The report offers a territorial definition of the circular economy; insights into the available statistics on material and waste patterns and flows and their interpretation, alongside new territorial evidence on both aspects; a sectoral characterisation of the circular economy at regional level (NUTS-2), including data on turnover and jobs; key findings from the CIRCTER case studies; a systemic interpretation of the circular economy that works as a knowledge-integration mechanism for the entire report; an analysis of the most relevant circular economy policies and strategies at various territorial levels; a subset of policy recommendations focusing in particular on territorial and cohesion policies; and suggestions for further research.

The Final Report also delivered 11 annexes:

• A territorial definition of the circular economy;
• Material and waste patterns and flows in Europe: Data regionalization; and Territorial analysis;
• A sectoral characterization of regional circular economies in Europe;
• Case Study synthesis report;
• Individual case study reports;
• A system’s perspective on the circular economy;
• Towards place-sensitive policies for circular economy development;
• Policy fiches;
• Measuring urban circularity based on a territorial perspective;
• CIRCTER Policy Guide.

In addition, the project made available on the ESPON Database Portal (https://www.espon.eu/espon-database) the CIRCTER dataset composed of a set of nine territorial indicators computed at two different time cuts. 

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CRICTER’s project leader is Tecnalia (Fundacion Tecnalia Research & Innovation, ES) and its project partners are:

• ACR+, Association of Cities and Regions for Sustainable Resource Management (BE)
• KnowlEdge Srl (IT)
• PROGNOS AG (BE)
• TECHNOPOLIS, Technopolis France (FR)
• Wuppertal Institut, Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt, Energie GmbH (DE)

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 More information: www.espon.eu/circular-economy