The Case for an EU Resources Law: The Missing Piece of the EU Green Deal

This policy report, commissioned by the Flanders Public Waste Agency (OVAM), makes the case for the development of an EU Resources Law — an overarching legislative framework governing material resource consumption in the European Union. The publication argues that such a law represents the missing piece of the EU Green Deal, needed to complement existing climate legislation by addressing the environmental impacts of resource extraction, use, and disposal.

The report draws on the development of the EU Climate Law as a model, identifying best practices and lessons learned that could be applied to the creation of a resources law. Just as the Climate Law established binding targets for greenhouse gas reduction and provided a legal framework for the EU’s climate ambition, a resources law could set binding targets for resource efficiency, material footprint reduction, and the use of secondary raw materials. It analyses the current EU policy landscape on resources, identifying gaps and inconsistencies across existing instruments, including the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Raw Materials Initiative, the Critical Raw Materials Act, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and waste legislation. It argues that the absence of a comprehensive, binding framework results in fragmented governance, insufficient ambition, and a lack of coherence between the EU’s resource, climate, and trade policies.

A key section of the report examines the international dimensions of an EU Resources Law, including its relationship with the EU’s critical raw materials strategy. The authors highlight the tension between the EU’s increasing demand for raw materials to support the green and digital transitions and its commitment to sustainable development and human rights. They argue that a resources law could help reconcile these objectives by promoting resource efficiency, reducing primary extraction needs, and ensuring that the EU’s resource consumption is consistent with its sustainability commitments.

The policy report concludes with practical recommendations for building political momentum for an EU Resources Law, including the establishment of a resource monitoring framework, stakeholder consultations, and pilot initiatives in key sectors.