Adina-Ioana Vălean (PPE). – Madam President, tonnes of paper, glass, biowaste and even metals lie buried on the outskirts of our cities, threatening water supplies and air quality. This is not a future for our citizens and they do not wish or need it. Human beings simply wish to live and prosper in a safe and caring environment. The circular economy is therefore not only about waste recycling or targets, it is actually about air, water, new jobs, new resources and money – money that we can dig out of the bin and put to work for us in a new economy that never existed before.

The circular economy is one of those policies which has the general support of the public and where EU added value is crystal clear. Implementation is, unfortunately, another story, and it will take a lot of effort by the Member States to make sure these policies are going to be implemented efficiently.

I wish to thank the Commission and the rapporteurs for making a good proposal even better, and for allowing much—needed flexibility for countries that need more time to get to where we all need to be. If we make the circular economy a success story, it will become part of the new narrative that the future of Europe needs.