Mr. Giovanni Impoco:

In the area of market development, the Netherlands is supporting the development of new and innovative products and services. What do I mean by that? The Netherlands is the best in terms of circularity because using innovative products and services means it is not extracting materials. That is why it is at the top of the circularity ratings. Lighting is a service, as are facade and elevators. They keep the material alive.

Italy ensures the viability of secondary material to respond to green public procurement so it is doing the market push. The research we did was already done in Ireland as the witnesses from the CIF mentioned regarding Articles 27 and 28. We also participated in the CSG Group, which released guidance for the circular economy. We marked all that, took all the best that had already been done in Ireland and tried to better it. We held a number of workshops in Dublin, Limerick and Cork and interrogated people from the whole value chain from the insurance company to the local authorities to governmental authorities and policymakers to manufacturers to real estate companies and developers because the circular economy cannot be tackled by just one player. Everyone should work together. We asked some questions about timelines. A question was asked about pathways. Regarding pushing innovative areas like the sharing economy, product as a service and a standard responsibility but also how we can use design and procurement.

In the context of materials, what is really missing to recertify all the materials is certification standards and testing. We should also permit the matching of demand. Italy could provide an example. We should attend to insurance, buying materials and skills. We need to set some circular requirements for tools and processes in procurement. There are some good examples from the UK, where they started asking the right questions early in the process. This means you know how you can push the circular economy.

We also need to specify the percentage of recycled content and different design methodologies that can push the circular economy. One member of the committee mentioned modularity. Modularity is also important for change of destination, which means that we will retain the value of the asset throughout the lifespan of the product or the building. This is one of the core principles of the circular economy. It also allows you to build less.

There are two different ways to tackle the circular economy.

Looking at some good examples outside the country, you can find a solution which could be really applied in this context as well.