Don’t Waste the Single Market

OUR ASKS The EU’s share of global foreign direct investment has halved in the last seven years OUR ASKS Intra-EU barriers account for 67%of the cost of goods traded across the EU. That's not a trade war, it’s self-inflicted The rules
exist. The
Single Market
doesn’t OUR ASKS Recycled material use rose 12.2% in a year. The 2030 target is 24%. Fragmented rules are the gap. OUR ASKS Nearly half of all EU countries still landfill more than 30% of municipal waste

A Single Market that makes waste a resource,
not a barrier

The issue and why it matters

The Single Market is one of Europe’s greatest strengths. But when it comes to packaging waste and secondary raw materials, fragmentation continues to limit its full potential-holding back both EU competitiveness and the transition to a fully circular economy. Diverging national rules – from labelling to sustainability targets – inconsistent transposition of EU legislation, and barriers to cross-border movement of waste restrict the availability of secondary raw materials in Europe.

The fragmentation

Reduces recycling efficiency

Discourages investment

Prevents European companies from operating at scale

Our asks

To unlock a true Single Market for secondary raw materials, the EU should:

Enforce the rules already in place

Facilitate the free movement of packaging waste across borders

Deliver a fully harmonised system for packaging waste sorting instructions

Introduce clear, EU-wide end-of-waste criteria

Harmonise the governing principles of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes to reduce fragmentation and administrative burden

Anchor the Circular Economy Act in a strong internal market legal basis

Don’t Waste the Single Market on record

Hear from Francesca Stevens, Secretary General of EUROPEN.

Enough fragmentation.
Enough delay. Enforce the rules.
Raise the ambition.
Align all 27 – now.

Real progress comes from a Single Market that actually works. More visuals, more data, more partnerships ahead.

Looking ahead

Strengthen its industrial resilience

Boost competitiveness

Accelerate the transition to a truly circular economy

This is the moment to move from ambition to implementation.

The Single Market
Single Market for Goods – Factsheet