Bucharest Center for Economy & Society Association

EU Legislative Interests

Our organization’s activities are centered on contributing expert knowledge and practical insights to the European Union’s ongoing work on circular economy, packaging waste management and sustainable product policy. Specifically, our activities relate to EU initiatives under the European Green Deal, including the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP II) and to current and forthcoming legislation shaping packaging systems across the internal market. These include the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and its implementing measures, especially as they concern deposit return systems (DRS), harmonized collection standards, recyclability criteria and extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks; EU-level discussions on waste collection, recycling performance targets and circular materials traceability; broader legislative and policy developments linked to the EU Industrial Strategy, Green Deal objectives and resource-efficiency measures where high-performing national DRS models may provide useful benchmarks. In this context, our organization aims to raise awareness and promote an evidence-based dialogue on how national experiences—specifically Romania’s recently implemented, large-scale Deposit Return System—can contribute to more coherent and effective EU policies on packaging and circular systems. Our organization conducts public-interest advocacy by convening multi-stakeholder exchanges, providing expertise and facilitating dialogue between national practitioners and EU policymakers. In this context, our organization is planning to host regular roundtable debates on “Deposit Return System: The Romanian Roadmap. From Implementation to Impact” subject, bringing together Members of the European Parliament, representatives of relevant European Commission services (notably those involved in the Green Deal, circular economy and waste legislation), industry stakeholders and industry partners. The first planned such roundtable debate is planned for December 9th, 2025 and the aim is to present Romania’s operational DRS as a case study demonstrating how coordinated governance, technological innovation in collection and traceability and high consumer participation can deliver measurable improvements in recycling performance and identify transferable best practices. A supplementary goal is to highlight lessons that may inform EU-wide policy debates on packaging, recyclability standards, deposit systems and circularity measures and provide a platform for constructive discussion that may indirectly support EU institutions as they assess implementation challenges, consider policy harmonization and prepare secondary legislation or future revisions. Outside this event, our organization’s interactions with EU institutions consist of standard, transparent engagement methods such as participating in public consultations, submitting position papers or technical input when relevant to our expertise and attending stakeholder workshops or hearings relating to packaging, circular economy or waste management policy files. Our activities are intended to support informed, evidence-based policy development in line with EU sustainability objectives.

Communication Activities

The meeting for which access to the EU institutions is required is the roundtable in the European Parliament entitled “Deposit Return System: The Romanian Roadmap. From Implementation to Impact” on December 9, 2025. The subject matter of this event concerns Romania’s implementation of its national Deposit Return System (DRS) and its relevance for ongoing EU-level policy frameworks on circular economy, packaging waste management and resource efficiency. The discussion will explore how Romania’s operational DRS—one of the most ambitious and rapidly deployed systems in Europe—contributes to improved collection rates, enhanced recycling performance, and increased traceability of packaging materials. These aspects have direct relevance for current EU initiatives under the European Green Deal, including the Circular Economy Action Plan and for legislative debates linked to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and future harmonisation of packaging systems across Member States. Our organization’s intervention consists of facilitating an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder dialogue by presenting lessons learned from Romania’s experience and highlighting best practices that may inform EU-level policymaking. We will provide a factual overview of the system’s operational features, governance structure, technological innovations and consumer engagement strategies. The purpose is to support constructive exchange among Members of the European Parliament, European Commission representatives, industry actors and civil society on how national experiences can contribute to more effective circular economy policies at EU scale. Our role is focused on promoting informed debate and knowledge-sharing. We do not advocate on behalf of specific commercial interests. The event aims to contribute to transparent policy development and foster cooperation on improving circular materials management across the European Union.

Interests Represented

Does not represent commercial interests

Member Of

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Organisation Members

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Additional Information

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