Recycling Europe, the Brussels-based industry association, said it strongly supports “European preference” policies that place materials “made in the EU” at the core of Europe’s industrial and economic strategy. The organization added that such policies should also safeguard open and unhampered global markets for recycled materials.

Recycling Europe said “made in Europe” policies could strengthen Europe’s industrial base, secure strategic material supplies, and help achieve the EU’s target of a 24% circular material use rate under the Clean Industrial Deal. Policy Director Maria Vera Duran said all recycled materials produced by European recyclers are already “made in Europe” because they originate from materials collected, sorted, and reprocessed within the EU.

The association said a European preference must be paired with targeted incentives under the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act, revised public procurement rules, and the new Circular Economy Act. It added that encouraging recycled material use would strengthen competitiveness, secure raw material supplies, and accelerate decarbonization, as recycled materials typically have a lower carbon footprint.