The Comparison of Twenty-eight EU Member States in the Transition toward a Circular Economy, Using a Composite Index

The purpose of this contribution is to develop a Circular Economy Composite indicator to benchmark EU countries performance. Europe is at the forefront of the global transition towards a sustainable and circular economy. To this end, the European Commission has launched in 2015 a Circular Economy Action Plan including a monitoring framework to measure progress and to assess the effectiveness of initiatives towards the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Member States. Still, this monitoring framework lacks a composite indicator at the national level to aggregate the circular economy dimensions into a single summary indicator. Although there is a wide range of sustainability composite indicators, no aggregate circular economy index exits to this date. We use a multi-criteria approach to construct a circular economy composite index based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solutions) methodology. In addition, we introduce a novel aggregation methodology for building a composite indicator where different levels of compensability for the distances to the ideal and anti-ideal (or negative-ideal) values of each indicator are considered. In order to illustrate the advantages of this proposal, we have applied it to evaluate the Circular Economy performance of EU Member States for the year 2016. This proposal can be a valuable tool for identifying areas in which the countries need to concentrate their efforts to boost their circular economy performance.

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Statistical Evaluation of the Level of Development of Circular Economy in European Union Member Countries

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13236401 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (23) ◽

pp. 6401

Author(s):

Barbara Fura ◽

Małgorzata Stec ◽

Teresa Miś

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Member States ◽

Low Level ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

High Level ◽

Level Medium ◽

The Eu

In this paper, we have analysed the level of advancement in circular economy (CE) in the EU-28 countries. First, we used a synthetic measure to examine CE advancement in EU countries in each of the Eurostat CE distinguished areas, i.e., production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, and competitiveness and innovation. For the empirical analysis, we applied 17 Eurostat indicators to the CE areas. To find the synthetic measure in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016, we used multidimensional comparative analysis, i.e., a zero unitarisation method. Second, based on the synthetic measures of the CE areas, we created a general synthetic measure of the CE advancement of the EU-28 countries as well as the countries’ rankings. Third, we classified the countries into groups according to their level of advancement in CE, i.e., high level, medium–high level, medium–low level and low level groups. Finally, we applied a similarity measure to evaluate the correlation between obtained rankings in two most extreme moments in the period of analysis (2010, 2016). Our analysis covers all EU member states, as well as “old” and “new” EU countries separately. Our results confirm that highly developed Benelux countries, i.e., Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, have the highest CE advancement level. Malta, Cyprus, Estonia and Greece are the least advanced in CE practice. Apart from that, on average, there is some progress in CE implementation, significant disproportions between the EU countries were observed, especially among the “new” member states.

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Analysing the Energy Efficiency of EU Member States: The Potential of Energy Recovery from Waste in the Circular Economy

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12193718 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (19) ◽

pp. 3718 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

George Halkos ◽

Kleoniki Natalia Petrou

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Energy Recovery ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

Waste To Energy ◽

Data Envelopment ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Final Energy Consumption ◽

The Eu

This paper examines energy efficiency across 28 selected European Union (EU) Member States and reviews the potential for energy recovery from waste according to the efficiency scores obtained. The efficiencies are assessed through data envelopment analysis (DEA) and the following variables are used, inputs: final energy consumption, labour, capital, population density and outputs: gross domestic product (GDP), nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the years 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Results show that most countries maintain their efficiency scores with only a few marginally improving theirs and at the same time, it is noticed that most are decreasing after 2012. Based on these efficiency scores, this paper recommends moving towards waste-to-energy with two main objectives, namely sufficient and sustainable energy production and effective treatment of municipal solid waste (MSW). This option would enhance the circular economy, whereas prioritization needs to be given to prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling and energy recovery through to disposal. Together with the EU Commission’s competition strategy, these options would ensure reliable energy supplies at rational prices and with the least environmental impacts. Moreover the efficiency scores need to be examined along the financial crisis which has been affecting the EU since 2008, showing a decrease in those efficiency scores after 2012 under a more imminent crisis.

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Statistical Evaluation of the Level of Development of Circular Economy in European Union Member Countries

10.20944/preprints202011.0359.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Barbara Fura ◽

Małgorzata Stec ◽

Teresa Miś

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Member States ◽

Low Level ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

High Level ◽

Level Medium ◽

The Eu

In this paper, we have analysed the level of advancement in circular economy (CE) in the EU-28 countries. Firstly, we used a synthetic measure to examine CE advancement in EU countries in each of the Eurostat CE distinguished areas, i.e. production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, and competitiveness and innovation. For the empirical analysis, we applied 17 Eurostat indicators to the CE areas. To find the synthetic measure in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016, we used multidimensional comparative analysis, i.e. a zero unitarisation method. Secondly, based on the synthetic measures of the CE areas, we created a general synthetic measure of the CE advancement of the EU-28 countries as well as the countries’ rankings. Thirdly, we classified the countries into groups according to their level of advancement in CE, i.e. high level, medium-high level, medium-low level, and low level groups. Finally, we applied a similarity measure to evaluate the correlation between obtained rankings in two most extreme moments in the period of analysis (2010, 2016). Our analysis covers all EU member states, as well as "old" and "new" EU countries separately. Our results confirm that highly developed Benelux countries, i.e. Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium, have the highest CE advancement level. Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, and Greece are the least advanced in CE practice. Apart from that, on average, there is some progress in CE implementation, significant disproportions between the EU countries were observed, especially among the "new" member states.

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Development and integrated assessment of the circular economy in the European Union: the outranking approach

Journal of Enterprise Information Management ◽

10.1108/jeim-11-2020-0440 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jonas Ūsas ◽

Tomas Balezentis ◽

Dalia Streimikiene

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Indicator System ◽

Resource Scarcity ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Content Type ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Input Use ◽

The Eu

PurposeThe Green Deal strategy of the European Union (EU) as well as the increasing concerns over resource scarcity worldwide has put forward such concepts as the circular economy. This paper seeks to compare the progress of the development of the circular economy across the EU Member States. Such analysis is helpful in guiding the circular economy support policies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops a quantitative framework for analysis of the implementation of the circular economy objectives in the EU Member States. The framework proposed includes three multi-criteria decision making methods representing reference point and outranking approaches. The use of multiple methods allows exploiting the differences in the underlying aggregation principles.FindingsGermany, Sweden and the Netherlands appear as the most advanced in the sense of circular economy development. The results indicate that the water-locked small countries and the new EU Member States are among the lowest performing ones. The flows of the waste need to be monitored more tightly in order to increase the circularity. The development of recycling facilities can also increase circularity irrespectively of the economic development level (e.g. the case of Bulgaria).Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the discussion regarding the circular economy by proposing an indicator system and the multi-criteria analysis framework. The proposed indicator system covers input use (circularity), trade flows and recycling processes. The proposed framework can be applied to track the progress of different countries in implementing the targets of the circular economy.

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Constitutional Amendment Index: the procedural requirements of an EMU-induced constitutional change in EU member states

Zeitschrift für öffentliches Recht ◽

10.33196/zoer201903044301 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 443

Author(s):

Zdenek Kudrna ◽

Elisabeth Lentsch

Keyword(s):

Constitutional Amendment ◽

Constitutional Change ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States

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Doing Everything You Can, but Not (yet) Getting it Right: Challenges to Brussels' Great Expectations for Water Quality1

Case Studies in the Environment ◽

10.1525/cse.2017.sc.452733 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Franca Angela Buelow

Keyword(s):

Water Status ◽

Organizational Structures ◽

Eu Water Framework Directive ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Great Expectations ◽

Eu Member States ◽

European Water ◽

Improve Water Quality ◽

Governance Architecture

To arrive at a good status of all European water bodies is the main objective of the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive (WFD). Since its adoption in 2000, the policy has fundamentally changed the institutional, procedural and organizational structures of Member States' water management, leading to an Europeanization of national legislation and decision-making structures. The case of WFD implementation in Schleswig-Holstein is an example of the policy's highly innovative governance architecture that unfortunately is not (yet) able to take that one last hurdle: to improve water quality and establish a good water status across EU Member States by 2015 or 2027.

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BIOECONOMY DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL BASED ON MORE EFFICIENT LAND USE IN THE EU

Proceedings of the 7th International Scientific Conference Rural Development 2015 ◽

10.15544/rd.2015.101 ◽

2015 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Irina PILVERE ◽

Aleksejs NIPERS ◽

Bartosz MICKIEWICZ

Keyword(s):

Green Growth ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Growing Stock ◽

Europe 2020 ◽

Europe 2020 Strategy ◽

Analysis And Synthesis ◽

Key Industries ◽

The Eu ◽

Production Resource

Europe 2020 Strategy highlights bioeconomy as a key element for smart and green growth in Europe. Bioeconomy in this case includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and pulp and paper production, parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries and plays an important role in the EU’s economy. The growth of key industries of bioeconomy – agriculture and forestry – highly depends on an efficient and productive use of land as a production resource. The overall aim of this paper is to evaluate opportunities for development of the main sectors of bioeconomy (agriculture and forestry) in the EU based on the available resources of land. To achieve this aim, several methods were used – monographic, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, statistical analysis methods. The findings show that it is possible to improve the use of land in the EU Member States. If all the Member States reached the average EU level, agricultural products worth EUR 77 bln would be annually additionally produced, which is 19 % more than in 2014, and an extra 5 billion m3 volume of forest growing stock would be gained, which is 20 % more than in 2010.

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