In 2025, we worked to highlight that environmental ambition is an effective stepping stone for long-term competitiveness. A green industrial transformation can help in this journey if and only if it also safeguards natural resources, biodiversity, social justice, and environmental health.
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This year marks the 25th anniversary of ECOS – a milestone we are proud to celebrate together with our partners, members, and experts who have helped shape our journey. As part of this celebration, we have prepared a series of testimonials from those who have closely collaborated with us over the years. Our journey, in their words - take a look!
Continue readingWith the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive now in the implementation phase, National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs) will be a key tool to turn the EU’s building energy goals into measurable savings. Together with nine organisations, we’ve assessed the NBRPs of six countries: Belgium (Wallonia), Denmark, Portugal, Spain, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Continue readingImplementing the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), now depends on technical rules and harmonised European standards. In our latest factsheet we provide an overview of the PPWR's upcoming milestones and targets on packaging minimisation, reuse, and refill - as well as key insights from experts on these three pillars of standardisation under the EU's new packaging rules.
Continue readingIn 2025, we worked to highlight that environmental ambition is an effective stepping stone for long-term competitiveness. A green industrial transformation can help in this journey if and only if it also safeguards natural resources, biodiversity, social justice, and environmental health.
Continue readingThere is a lot of anticipation about what the EU's Digital Product Passport (DPP) can do - but what do the laws currently say? And what remains uncertain? Read on to learn more about the DPP and how it can truly support the bloc's environmental objectives.
Continue readingThe Public Procurement Directives will be revised over the next few years. Often hailed as a potential enabler for the decarbonisation of Europe's heavy industry, public procurement is high up on the EU's agenda. This explainer is here to unpack all you need to know about the Directives.
Continue readingAnnex III of the EU Standardisation Regulation supports representation of societal and small business interests in standards-making. It has opened the door to a wealth of knowledge and experience that gives balance, legitimacy, and real-life insight into standardisation, ensuring that European standards are fit for a future-proof Single Market.
Continue readingWhat can the EU do to make electrification work? From renewables to efficiency – and everything in-between – discover the six energy transition essentials in our factsheet.
Continue readingThe European chemical sector faces two linked challenges: the need to move away from fossil fuels – both as an energy source and as raw material input – and growing pressure from competitors abroad. Both point the same way: toward significant investment in modernising how chemicals are sourced and produced.
Continue readingAfter 2 years of revision, the Science Based Targets Initiative has released its Corporate Net Zero Standard 2.0, a framework aiming to guide companies to set their climate transition plan in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
Continue readingBetter, faster, stronger: Position paper on critical raw materials and the EU's proposal on speeding up environmental assessments. Read on for the risks, gaps and recommendations.
Continue readingThe Industrial Accelerator Act aims to accelerate the production and uptake of clean industrial products, while also boosting the competitiveness and decarbonisation of European industry. Public procurement is identified as a key lever in achieving this.
Continue readingEurope cannot recycle its way out of the resource crisis. Improving the recovery of Critical Raw Materials from electronic waste is important but revising the WEEE Directive to focus solely on collection and recycling risks missing the bigger picture. If the EU is serious about reducing resource consumption, cutting strategic dependencies, and building a circular economy within planetary boundaries, waste prevention must become the guiding principle of the Directive.
Continue readingStrengthening Europe’s circular transition beyond recycling and secondary raw materials. The EU Circular Economy Act is set to focus on improving critical raw material recovery, harmonising end-of-waste rules and extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes and strengthening secondary raw material markets. The emerging policy proposals concentrate on downstream waste management and recycling measures but the European Commission’s three objectives can be made significantly more effective by incorporating upstream measures
Continue readingVoluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) are widely used tools to assess supply chain sustainability in sectors exposed to deforestation or forest degradation - but they can be limited in supporting compliance. Our report examines the role, performance, and governance of VSS in the context of EU due diligence obligations under the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
Continue readingRESourceEU: Security without safeguards Is no security at all. Read our joint position paper, part of the EU Raw Materials Coalition. This coalition is a civil society alliance of over 60 organisations working to ensure Europe’s raw materials policies are socially just, environmentally responsible and grounded in reduced resource consumption.
Continue reading31 civil society organisations have written to the European Commission expressing serious concerns about the Critical Chemicals Alliance (CCA) and calling for fundamental reform of its governance and approach.
Continue readingThe rapid growth of e-commerce has led to an unprecedented surge in direct imports from third countries. In 2025 alone, an estimated 5.9 billion low-value e-commerce parcels entered the European Union. Large-scale EU customs control actions have shown that a significant number of third-country imports do not comply with EU rules.
Continue readingAn open letter to the political leadership of the European Commission.
Continue readingAs an active member of the European Commission's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism expert group, ECOS provided feedback on the draft implementing act outlining the rules for accounting for the carbon price paid in third countries under CBAM.
Continue readingAs an active member of the European Commission's expert group on climate change policy (CCEG), ECOS provided feedback on the public consultation of the revision of the benchmark values for free allocation of emissions allowances (2026-2030).
Continue readingMembers of the Rethink Plastic Alliance and supporting organisations are calling on the European Commission to critically reassess the study on bio-based plastics, as part of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which does not provide a sufficiently balanced basis for future policy development.
Continue readingScience Based Targets Initiative's (SBTi) Corporate Net Zero Standard (CNZS) is being updated. The standard could be an opportunity to drive corporate clean energy targets and purchases, but the undersigned organisations (including ECOS) are concerned that SBTi will walk back on high-integrity standard changes.
Continue readingIn our joint letter to European Commission leaders we call for urgent and comprehensive EU policy action to address ultra-processed foods and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.
Continue readingECOS is co-funded by the European Commission and EFTA
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EISMEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.