Brussels, 11 June 2026 – A mandatory green public procurement framework, combined with favourable market conditions that enable recycled materials to compete, circulate and remain within a thriving European circular economy is essential to creating strong demand for recycled materials and unlocking a true Single Market for circularity. That was the central message of the 8th European Recycling Conference (ERC), co-organised with FER, which took place on 10 June at IFEMA Madrid.

Opening the conference, Ion Olaeta, President of FER, stressed that a competitive recycling industry depends on robust markets for recycled materials, mandatory recycled-content targets and a regulatory framework that balances environmental ambition with industrial competitiveness. In his keynote address, Olivier François, President of Recycling Europe, highlighted one of the recycling industry’s most pressing challenges: the growing regulatory burden and the cumulative impact of overlapping requirements stemming from environmental, chemicals, trade, reporting and product legislation. Referring to a recent Financial Times analysis, he noted the dramatic increase in the volume of EU legislation over recent decades, driven largely by the growing use of directly applicable regulations. His remarks were followed by Rafael García, Deputy Minister for the Environment of the Community of Madrid, who underlined the recycling sector’s strategic contribution to economic growth and job creation.

The conference also featured a presentation by Alicia García-Franco Zúñiga, Director General of FER, who outlined the organisation’s strategic vision and five key priorities: lobbying and regulatory advocacy, value-added services for members, sector-specific training, communication, and digitalisation and artificial intelligence.

The first panel discussion focused on the upcoming Circular Economy Act and the need to better balance supply and demand for recycled materials. Tess Pozzi (DERICHEBOURG Environnement) highlighted that, particularly in the metals sector, Europe must address both sides of the equation. While recyclers continue to invest and produce high-quality recycled materials, demand from manufacturers does not always match available supply. She also stressed the importance of aligning obligations for producers and recyclers, including timelines for quality specifications and recycled-content requirements across different legislative instruments. Daniel Montalvo (European Environment Agency) pointed to the persistent price gap between virgin and recycled materials as a major obstacle. Even where recycled materials offer equivalent quality, market demand often remains weaker. As the European Commission prepares the Circular Economy Act, creating the right economic incentives for recycled materials will therefore be crucial. From the industry’s perspective, José Andrés Martín Cubero (MC2 Recycling) highlighted the administrative burden faced by recycling companies and the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the new Waste Shipment Regulation. He also called for harmonised End-of-Waste criteria across the EU to improve legal certainty and facilitate trade in recycled materials. Representing the textile sector, Juan Ramón Meléndez Agudín (RE-VISTE) discussed both the challenges and opportunities facing the industry as it works to improve circularity and scale up sustainable business models.

Markets, geopolitics and metals prices also featured prominently during the conference. Alejandro Moreno García (StoneX) analysed developments in metal markets against a backdrop of geopolitical and economic uncertainty. He explained how rising energy costs, trade tensions, and supply-chain disruptions are affecting the availability and pricing of metals, particularly aluminium and copper.

As Europe seeks to strengthen both its competitiveness and strategic autonomy, the second panel focused on the role of “Made in EU” and circular preferences in public procurement. Panellists agreed that public procurement remains one of the most powerful – yet underutilised – tools available to policymakers. Opening the discussion, Enrique Garcia John from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) noted that, despite a challenging international environment, the Commission remains committed to using all available policy tools to advance both circularity and competitiveness. Existing legislation, including the Ecodesign Regulation and the revised Construction Products Regulation, already provides pathways for mandatory Green Public Procurement (GPP) requirements, while additional procurement-related initiatives are expected in the coming months. Pär Larshans (Ragn-Sells) emphasised the untapped potential of public procurement to stimulate demand for recycled materials, particularly in the plastics and construction sectors. He stressed that recyclers are ready to supply high-quality secondary materials but require stronger and more predictable demand signals to support further investment and scale-up. Daniel Schockmann (REGUPOL) argued that GPP should become mandatory, providing the market certainty needed to accelerate circular investments and ensuring that public authorities lead by example. Beatriz Castillo (Veolia) called for clear and enforceable procurement criteria, robust monitoring mechanisms, and stronger links between public procurement, ecodesign requirements and Extended Producer Responsibility schemes. She also emphasised the importance of mandatory recycled-content targets to strengthen demand and support Europe’s recycling industries.

All presentations, photos and additional event materials will be made available here.