PRIMJENA CIRKULARNE EKONOMIJE U DRŽAVAMA ČLANICAMA EUROPSKE UNIJE – STUDIJE SLUČAJA
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN EUROPEAN UNION MEMBER STATES – CASE STUDIES

Summary/Abstract: The circular economy is an economic model that represents a system that seeks to close production flows through reuse, refurbishment and recycling. The basic principles of the circular economy are the maintenance of materials in use, products without waste and pollution, and the restoration of natural resources. The advantages of the circular economy are: reducing emissions, protecting the environment, encouraging innovation and competitiveness, and reducing dependence on raw materials. The European Union has recognized the importance of the circular economy and has developed strategic documents to accelerate the circular economy process. The European Green Deal is a growth strategy of the European Union in which the European Union is directed towards the green transition, and contains a framework plan with measures for the efficient use of resources with the transition to a circular economy. The aim of this paper is to research out how the observed Member States (Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Croatia) implement the principles of circular economy. Case studies illustrate successful practices that can serve as a model for other members, but also point to challenges such as a lack of financial incentives, less developed infrastructure and low levels of consumer awareness. The paper presents the theoretical assumptions of the circular economy and the findings so far, analyzes strategic documents in the European Union related to the circular economy and analyzes the application of the circular economy in these Member States. For the purposes of this paper, secondary data sources were used: scientific literature, statistical data from Eurostat and official reports.

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