Leaders from several European cities and regions have joined forces for a joint Call for Action to the European Commission. The call is input to the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, which is expected to be presented in 2026 and is intended to strengthen Europe’s circular economy and the market for secondary raw materials.
The Call for Action has been signed by, among others, Île-de-France, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area, Vienna, the City of Copenhagen and the Capital Region of Denmark. On the Danish side, Regional Council Chairman Lars Gaardhøj (Social Democratic Party) has signed the document.
“The construction industry accounts for around 40% of the EU’s total waste. At the same time, many regions are experiencing a genuine shortage of raw materials such as sand and gravel, rising prices and increased reliance on imports".
"When we talk about the circular economy, it is therefore crucial that the construction industry is given a clear and binding role in the new legislation, so that we can reduce the pressure on virgin raw materials,” says Lars Gaardhøj (Social Democratic Party), Regional Council Chairman of the Capital Region of Denmark.
Improved recycling and resource utilisation
The Circular Economy Act is the European Commission’s forthcoming regulation on the circular economy. It aims to strengthen the internal market for waste and secondary raw materials, reduce dependence on imports and improve the framework for recycling and resource utilisation in the EU.
The legislation broadly addresses the market for waste and secondary materials, as well as the harmonisation of rules across Member States. However, the construction industry has not yet been identified as a separate principal pillar in the overall approach.
There is a need for more direct and binding requirements for the construction industry
Although the construction industry generates a large proportion of the total waste volume, the current framework does not include specific, binding requirements directly aimed at the industry, for example, on recycling, reducing material consumption, or minimising the use of virgin raw materials.
The regions point out that, in its current form, the Circular Economy Act primarily addresses the market and waste in general, but does not sufficiently address the industry where material consumption and waste volumes are highest. This is the background to the joint European call to action.
“Europe faces a real challenge in terms of access to raw materials such as sand and gravel, which are essential for our construction industry and infrastructure. That is why it is crucial that we become much better at using the materials we already have in circulation".
"We hope that the Circular Economy Act will help create a better framework for this, so that circular building materials become a natural part of the construction industry across Europe,” says Line Ervolder (Conservative People’s Party), Chairwoman of the Environment and Climate Committee in the Capital Region of Denmark.
Conference at Industry House on 7 April
The Call for Action will be officially launched at a conference on circular construction on 7 April 2026 at Industry House, the Confederation of Danish Industry’s head office in Copenhagen. This event brings together decision-makers, industry representatives, and European partners to discuss how the construction industry can play a stronger, more central role in the forthcoming European legislation on the circular economy.
Register for the conference