The event explores the interface between trade, sustainable development and the circular economy, seeking to improve policy coherence.
Fri, 22 November 2019
9:00 – 14:00
The Office
Rue d’Arlon 80
1040 Brussels
The transition to a sustainable circular economy in Europe is an essential building block for the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In a global economy, the EU’s efforts to shift to a more sustainable use of resources within its territory will have repercussions and spillover effects – both positive and negative – outside the Union’s borders.
Trade plays a key role in this context. A shift to circular systems results in changes to resource flows – including the trade in these resources. Trade agreements, such as the EU Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), can affect the circularity of material flows at an international scale.
This event will focus on the impacts of implementing circular economy measures across all aspects of the EU’s trade relations. These impacts call for improved policy coherence between the EU’s circular economy measures and its trade and development cooperation policies. It will highlight key insights from the study and bring together a range of relevant stakeholders on the topic at the EU level.
The event is organised as part of the Finland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and marks the launch a new study by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), with support from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The study has benefited from advice from a Steering Committee formed by experts from the OECD, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Tearfund and The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
To register, click here.
Agenda
9.00 – 9.30: Registration and coffee
9:30 – 10.00: Welcome and opening remarks | Pasi-Heikki Vaaranmaa, Director of Trade Policy Unit | Ministry for Foreign Affairs Finland, with video message by Ville Skinnari, Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Finland
10:00-10:30 Presentation and launch of the report ‘EU circular economy and trade: Improving policy coherence to deliver for sustainable development’ | Susanna Gionfra IEEP
10:30-11:30 Panel I + QA: Discussion on the report and its recommendations | Marianne Kettunen IEEP
Panel representatives:
Veronique Hyeulle, Advisor for Global Sustainable Development |DG-ENV
Thibaut Portevin, International Aid/Corporation Officer | DG-DEVCO
Karoliina Rasi, Senior Adviser | Finnish Confederation of Industries
Jocelyn Blériot, Executive Officer | Ellen McArthur Foundation
Richard Gower, Senior Associate | Tearfund
11:30-12:30 Panel II + QA: Next steps in trade policy? | Malena Sell MFA
Panel representatives:
Madelaine Tuininga, Head of Trade and Sustainable Development | DG-TRADE
Aik Hoe Lim, Director| WTO Division on Trade and Environment
Al-Hamndou Dorsouma, Division Manager of Climate and Green Growth | African Development Bank
Henrique Silva Pacini Costa, Research Fellow | Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Shunta Yamaguchi, Policy Analyst | OECD
12:30-13:00 Concluding remarks + final discussion
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch
