The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI), together with Europe’s cities and regions, is leading the way towards a more sustainable, circular future in Europe.  

Key to this process are the CCRI stakeholders, which include Pilots, Fellows, Associated Partners, and CCRI Projects. Their experiences and learning processes feed into the CCRI knowledge base – for which this website provides a central hub.

In April 2022, the CCRI launched a call for expression of interest for European cities, regions and territorial clusters to become CCRI Pilots and Fellows. 

After over 100 applications, we have selected a total of 12 CCRI Pilots and 25 Fellows. These stakeholders are now working closely with the CCRI Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO) and each other to drive the rapidly growing European community of practice in this area, thereby leading Europe’s circular economy transition. 

As shown in the map below, the selected cities, regions and territorial clusters cover 18 countries, with 13 participants in Western Europe, 11 in Northern Europe, 9 in Southern Europe, and 4 in Eastern & Central Europe: 

You may also download the full list of Pilots and Fellows here.

By participating as a Pilot in the CCRI, these cities and regions are showcasing the high circularity potential of their front-running ecosystems. They benefit from tailored support from the circular economy experts of the CCRI-CSO for the implementation of their Circular Systemic Solutions.

Read more about the Pilots in their profiles.

The CCRI Fellows, meanwhile, are cities, regions and territorial clusters at different levels of implementation of the circular economy transition, but with a strong interest in sharing and expanding their knowledge. They benefit from dedicated capacity-building and peer-learning activities, including thematic working groups and webinars.

Read more about the Fellows in their profiles.

Both the Pilots and Fellows also benefit from:

• greater collaboration opportunities with the CCRI community;
• first-hand information on relevant knowledge, tools and events;
• increased visibility for commitments and actions through the CCRI channels.

The CCRI’s Associated Partners include initiatives implemented, supported or managed by the European Commission (or other EU institutions) and organisations, foundations or other institutions implementing projects, services and initiatives.

Their activities are relevant for the implementation of the CCRI’s activities, complementing the role of the CCRI-CSO and bringing added value to the CCRI scheme by providing valuable input about circular economy that can be transferred to Pilots and Fellows.

The CCRI-CSO cooperates with the Associated Partners in communicating and spreading relevant knowledge for circular cities and regions. Together, they foster synergies between organisations and various initiatives. The Associated Partners also provide additional networking channels for the initiative.

Read more about the CCRI’s Associated Partners in their profiles.

CCRI Projects are research and innovation projects, funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, which are generating innovative knowledge, creating specific skills and demonstrating systemic solutions.

The CCRI Projects boost knowledge sharing, link the CCRI to relevant initiatives and stakeholders, and contribute to supporting cities and regions to implement their Circular Systemic Solutions by testing circular business and governance models.

More specifically, CCRI Projects include demonstration projects, which support the demonstration and deployment of innovative Circular Systemic Solutions at local and regional level, and project development assistance services, which provide project promoters with the technical, economic and legal expertise needed for developing circular economy investments. They also include cross-cutting projects that focus on broader themes, such as governance models.

CCRI Projects can contribute to Pilots and Fellows’ Circular Systemic Solutions in different ways, for instance by sharing analyses of their research results and demonstrated solutions, as well as through project development assistance and dissemination of relevant knowledge in this policy area.

Read more about the CCRI Projects in their profiles.

This Data Protection Notice (DPN) provides information about the processing and the protection of your personal data.

“Operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination & Support Office (CCRI-CSO)”

Referred to as "consultation" in the text

Processing operation: Targeted consultation activities (including surveys, interviews, focus groups, calls for expression of interest) 
Data Controller: European Commission/ Directorate-General Research and Innovation (DG RTD)/ Directorate Unit B1 
Record reference: DPR-EC-01011.3
 

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why and how do we process your personal data?
3. On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?
4. Which personal data do we collect and further process?
5. How long do we keep your personal data?
6. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?
7. Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?
8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them? 
9. Contact information
10. Where to find detailed information?

1. Introduction
   
   The European Commission (hereafter ‘the Commission’) is committed to protect your personal data and to respect your privacy. The Commission collects and further processes personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data (repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001).
   This privacy statement explains the reason for the processing of your personal data, the way we collect, handle and ensure protection of all personal data provided, how that information is used and what rights you have in relation to your personal data. It also specifies the contact details of the responsible Data Controller with whom you may exercise your rights, the Data Protection Officer and the European Data Protection Supervisor.
   This privacy statement concerns the processing operation ‘Targeted consultation activities’, undertaken by the Commission/ Directorate-General for Research and Innovation/ Unit B1 – Circular Economy & Bio-based Systems as presented below. 
    
2. Why and how do we process your personal data?
   
   Purpose of the processing operation: The European Commission collects and uses your personal information within the framework of targeted consultation activities. 
   More specifically, this concerns the following processing activities:
      - Obtain the views of the respondents of the targeted consultation activity. In view of the design, evaluation and revision of initiatives it is indispensable for the Commission to receive input and views from those who are considered to be concerned by the policy or initiative;
      - Obtain the views of stakeholders to explore a subject for which very limited information is available. This exploratory-targeted consultations activity (hereafter, 'targeted consultation') will provide further information to the Commission necessary to take basic conceptual decisions. 
   For reasons of transparency and openness, in principle, your views, audio- or video recordings will be published on a Europa website, either directly as received, in the form of a summary report, or included in a wider policy document. It is your responsibility if you opt for confidentiality of your personal data to avoid any reference in your submission or contribution that would reveal your identity.
   To avoid misuse, anonymous contributions to the consultation activity may not be accepted.
   The consultation activity uses the Commission's online questionnaire tool EUSurvey, which requires login via EULogin. EULogin requires certain personal data such as name, surname and e-mail address of the registrant. For further information, on EULogin please refer to the dedicated processing operation 'DPO-839-4 Identity & Access Management Service (IAMS)'.
   The personal data processed may be reused for the purpose of procedures before the EU Courts, national courts, the European Ombudsman or the European Court of Auditor.
   Your personal data will not be used for an automated decision-making including profiling.
    
3. On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data
    

   We process your personal data, because:
   (a) Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest;
   (b) Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject;( It is based on your consent, for one or more specified purposes:
   - Publication of the identity of the stakeholder or respondent on a Europe website ;
   - Publication of the views and audio or video recordings on a Europe website ;
   - If the subject matter of a targeted consultation requires respondents to provide personal data in their response and their publication;

   The Union law which is the basis for the processing based on Articles 5(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 is the Treaty of the European Union, and more specifically its Articles 1 and 11, Article 298 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, read in conjunction with Recital 22 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725), as well as the Protocol 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. 
    

4. Which personal data do we collect and further process? 
   
   In order to carry out this processing operation, the Data Controller collects the following categories of personal data:
   • General information:
     • First and last name
     • Signature
     • E-mail address of the respondent
     • Postal address
     • Postal code
     • Country of residence
     • Phone number
     • Webpage (if available) 
     • Title and department

   • Organisation on whose behalf the respondent is contributing: 

     • Name

     • Size and type

     • Sector of specialisation 

   • Personal data related to the physical, economic, cultural, or social identity of the respondent, insofar as they are not falling under Article 10 of the Regulation

   • Personal data included in the response or contribution to the targeted consultation (if the targeted consultation at hand requires so).
     
     Furthermore, you may spontaneously provide other, non-requested personal data in the context of your reply to the targeted consultation.​​​​​​
      

5. How long do we keep your personal data?
   
   The Data Controller only keeps your personal data for the time necessary to fulfil the purpose of collection or further processing, namely for a maximum of five years after the closure of the file to which the present targeted consultation belongs. A file is closed at the latest once there has been a final outcome in relation to the initiative to which the targeted consultation contributed. This retention period is without prejudice to an earlier elimination of personal data not part of the file or cases of administrative elimination.
   This administrative retention period of five years is based on the retention policy of European Commission documents and files (and the personal data contained in them), governed by the common Commission-level retention list for European Commission files SEC(2019)900. It is a regulatory document in the form of a retention schedule that establishes the retention periods for different types of European Commission files. That list has been notified to the European Data Protection Supervisor.
   The administrative retention period is the period during which the European Commission departments are required to keep a file depending on its usefulness for administrative purposes and the relevant statutory and legal obligations. This period begins to run from the time when the file is closed.
   In accordance with the common Commission-level retention list, after the ‘administrative retention period’, files including (the outcome of) targeted consultations (and the personal data contained in them) can be transferred to the Historical Archives of the European Commission for historical purposes (for the processing operations concerning the Historical Archives, please see notifications DPO-1530.4 ARES-NOMCOM. ARES (Advanced Records System) et NOMCOM (Nomenclature Commune), DPO-3871-3 Notification for the digital archival repository and ARCHISscanning' and 'DPO-2806-5 Gestion des dossiers papier structurés par nom de personnes et transférés aux Archives Historiques'.).
    
6. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?
   
   All personal data in electronic format (e-mails, documents, databases, uploaded batches of data, etc.) are stored on the servers of the European Commission (or of its contractors (processors), if contractors are engaged to assist the controller). All processing operations are carried out pursuant to Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2017/46 of 10 January 2017 on the security of communication and information systems in the European Commission.
   In order to protect your personal data, the Commission has put in place a number of technical and organisational measures. Technical measures include appropriate actions to address online security, risk of data loss, alteration of data or unauthorised access, taking into consideration the risk presented by the processing and the nature of the personal data being processed. Organisational measures include restricting access to the personal data solely to authorised persons with a legitimate need to know for the purposes of this processing operation.
   The Commission’s processors (contractors) are bound by a specific contractual clause for any processing operations of your personal data on behalf of the Commission. The processors have to put in place appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the level of security, required by the Commission.
    
7. Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?
   
   Access to your personal data is provided to the Commission staff responsible for carrying out this processing operation and to authorised staff according to the “need to know” principle, in particular to follow-up on the targeted consultation. Such staff abide by statutory, and when required, additional confidentiality agreements.
   Certain personal data may be made public on the Europa website, namely:
   - any personal data on which you consented to their publication;
   - personal data spontaneously provided by you in your contribution (without it being required by the consultation activity).
   Please note that pursuant to Article 3(13) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 public authorities (e.g. Court of Auditors, EU Court of Justice) which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients; the processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing. 
   The information we collect will not be given to any third party, except to the extent and for the purpose we may be required to do so by law.
    
8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?
    

   You have specific rights as a ‘data subject’ under Chapter III (Articles 14-25) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, in particular the right to access your personal data and to rectify them in case your personal data are inaccurate or incomplete. Under certain conditions, you have the right to erase your personal data, to restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to the processing and the right to data portability.

   You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data, which is lawfully carried out pursuant to Article 5(1)(a), on grounds relating to your particular situation.

   Insofar you have consented to the certain processing of your personal data to the Data Controller for the present processing operation, you can withdraw your consent at any time by notifying the Data Controller. The withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out before you have withdrawn the consent.

   You can exercise your rights by contacting the Data Controller, or in case of conflict the Data Protection Officer. If necessary, you can also address the European Data Protection Supervisor. Their contact information is given under Heading 9 below. 
   Where you wish to exercise your rights in the context of one or several specific processing operations, please provide their description (i.e. their Record reference(s) as specified under Heading 10 below) in your request.
   Any request for access to personal data will be handled within one month. Any other request mentioned above will be addressed within 15 working days.
    

9. Contact information

   
   - The Data Controller
   If you would like to exercise your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, or if you have comments, questions or concerns, or if you would like to submit a complaint regarding the collection and use of your personal data, please feel free to contact the Data Controller. 
   European Commission, Directorate-General Research and Innovation, Unit B1 – Circular Economy & Bio-based Systems at RTD-B1-ASSIST@ec.europa.eu.
   - The Data Protection Officer (DPO) of the Commission
   You may contact the Data Protection Officer (DATA-PROTECTION-OFFICER@ec.europa.eu) with regard to issues related to the processing of your personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
   - The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
   You have the right to have recourse (i.e. you can lodge a complaint) to the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) if you consider that your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data by the Data Controller.
    

10. Where to find more detailed information?
    
    The Commission Data Protection Officer (DPO) publishes the register of all processing operations on personal data by the Commission, which have been documented and notified to him. You may access the register via the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/dpo-register.
    This specific processing operation has been included in the DPO’s public register with the following Record reference: DPR-EC-01011.

This Data Protection Notice (DPN) provides information about the processing and the protection of your personal data.

“Operation of the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative’s Coordination & Support Office (CCRI-CSO)”

Processing operation: Management of subscriptions to receive information.
Data Controller: European Commission/ Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD)/ Directorate Unit B1 – Circular Economy & Bio-based Systems.
Record reference: DPR-EC-03928.1

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Why and how do we process your personal data?
3. On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?
4. Which personal data do we collect and further process?
5. How long do we keep your personal data?
6. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?
7. Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?
8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?
9. Contact information
10. Where to find more information?

1. Introduction
   
   The European Commission (hereafter ‘the Commission’) is committed to protect your personal data and to respect your privacy. The Commission collects and further processes personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data.
   This privacy statement explains the reason for the processing of your personal data, the way we collect, handle and ensure protection of all personal data provided, how that information is used and what rights you have in relation to your personal data. It also specifies the contact details of the responsible Data Controller with whom you may exercise your rights, the Data Protection Officer and the European Data Protection Supervisor.
   The information in relation to the processing operation “Management of subscriptions to receive information”, undertaken by the services of the European Commission, is presented below.
    
2. Why and how do we process your personal data?
   
   Purpose of the processing operation: the Controller collects and uses your personal information so that you can receive information that you have requested on important developments, activities, events, initiatives or thematic issues in the area of (a) service(s) of the European Commission, in particular through articles, reports, interviews, newsletters as well as visual content.
   Your personal data will not be used for an automated decision-making including profiling.
    
3. On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?
   
   You have subscribed to receive the information on important developments, activities, events, initiatives or thematic issues in the area of (a) service(s) of the European Commission.
   We process your personal data, because you have given your consent to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of receiving the requested information.
    
4. Which data do we collect and further process?
   
   In order to carry out these processing operations, the Controller collects the following categories of personal data:
   - Contact data: e-mail address, country of residence;
   - Identification data: name and surname;
   - Professional data: profession title, function, sector of activity.
    
5. How long do we keep your personal data?
   
   The Controller only keeps your personal data for the time necessary to fulfill the purpose of collection or further processing, namely until you unsubscribe from the mailing list.
   Depending on the technical solutions available, you can either write to the dedicated functional mailbox and ask to be unsubscribed from the mailing list or follow the unsubscribe link in the information email you have received. Appropriate action shall be taken within a week of receiving the request.
    
6. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?
   
   All personal data in electronic format (e-mails, documents, databases, uploaded batches of data, etc.) are stored either on the servers of the European Commission (or of its contractors if a contractor is used to assist the Controller in the management of a particular type of subscription to receive information).
   All processing operations are carried out pursuant to the Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2017/46 of 10 January 2017 on the security of communication and information systems in the European Commission.
   In order to protect your personal data, the Commission has put in place a number of technical and organisational measures in place. Technical measures include appropriate actions to address online security, risk of data loss, alteration of data or unauthorised access, taking into consideration the risk presented by the processing and the nature of the personal data being processed. Organisational measures include restricting access to the personal data solely to authorised persons with a legitimate need to know for the purposes of this processing operation.
   The Commission’s contractors are bound by specific contractual clauses for any processing operations of your personal data on behalf of the Commission, and by the confidentiality obligations deriving from the General Data Protection Regulation (‘GDPR’ - Regulation (EU) 2016/679).
    
7. Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?
   
   Access to your personal data is provided to the Commission staff responsible for carrying out this processing operation and to authorised staff according to the “need to know” principle. Such staff abide by statutory, and when required, additional confidentiality agreements. 
   Where necessary, the Controller may also share your information with service providers (the consortium led by Ecorys Brussels / Ecorys Europe, N.V. Rue Belliard 12, 1040 Brussels, Belgium) for the purpose of being assisted in the management of subscriptions to receive information.
   We use third-party IT tools (e.g. Sendinblue) as platforms to manage subscriptions. Your personal data will be stored by these third parties. We recommend that subscribers read the relevant privacy policies of the tools used. These explain each company’s policy of personal data collection and further processing, their use of data, users' rights and the ways in which users can protect their privacy when using those services.
   The Controller will transfer your personal data to its processors (contractors) in third countries in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
   The controller will transfer your personal data based on:
   - Adequacy decision of the Commission for a specific country / commercial sector (Article 47 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725)
   Please note that pursuant to Article 3(13) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 public authorities (e.g. Court of Auditors, EU Court of Justice) which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients. The further processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.
   The information we collect will not be given to any third party, except to the extent and for the purpose we may be required to do so by law.
    
8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?
   
   You have specific rights as a ‘data subject’ under Chapter III (Articles 14-25) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, in particular the right to access your personal data and to rectify them in case your personal data are inaccurate or incomplete. Where applicable, you have the right to erase your personal data, to restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to the processing, and the right to data portability.
   You have consented to provide your personal data to the Controller for the present processing operations. You can withdraw your consent at any time by notifying the Controller. The withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of the processing carried out before you have withdrawn the consent.
   You can exercise your rights by contacting the Controller, or in case of conflict the Data Protection Officer. If necessary, you can also address the European Data Protection Supervisor. Their contact information is given under Heading 9 below.
   Where you wish to exercise your rights in the context of one or several specific processing operations, please provide their description (i.e. their Record reference(s) as specified under Heading 10 below) in your request.
    
9. Contact information
   
   a) The Data Controller
   If you would like to exercise your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, or if you have comments, questions or concerns, or if you would like to submit a complaint regarding the collection and use of your personal data, please feel free to contact the Controller: European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Unit B1 – Circular Economy & Bio-based Systems at RTD-B1-ASSIST@ec.europa.eu.
   b) The Data Protection Officer (DPO) of the Commission
   You may contact the Data Protection Officer (DATA-PROTECTION-OFFICER@ec.europa.eu) with regard to issues related to the processing of your personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
   c) The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
   You have the right to have recourse (i.e. you can lodge a complaint) to the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) if you consider that your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data by the Data Controller.
    
10. Where to find more detailed information?
    
    The Commission Data Protection Officer (DPO) publishes the register of all processing operations on personal data by the Commission, which have been documented and notified to him.
    You may access the register via the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/dpo-register.
    These specific processing operations have been included in the DPO’s public register with the following Record reference: DPR-EC-03928.

The Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) is an initiative of the European Commission, launched by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation as part of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020.

It contributes to the policy objectives of the EU Green Deal, including the 2050 climate neutrality target, and the EU Bioeconomy Strategy. The CCRI is funded by Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation framework programmes.

Combining knowledge sharing, technical and financial support, the initiative assists stakeholders across Europe’s cities and regions, including regional and local authorities, industry representatives, research and technology organisations and civil society. It provides comprehensive support over the whole life cycle of local and regional circular economy initiatives.

The CCRI specifically targets EU cities and regions, and supports them in improving circularity in their economic sectors, value chains and services. They are the closest governance level to Europe’s citizens and sources of innovation, socio-economic transformation and circular ecosystems. They are thereby well placed to drive change towards a sustainable, regenerative and inclusive circular economy.

Many cities and regions are already drawing up their own plans to improve circularity in their economic sectors, value chains and services. Research and innovation initiatives are also helping improve circularity in local systems and economies. While policy tools and funding instruments already exist, there remain many gaps in knowledge, information, skills and awareness.

The CCRI aims to support Europe’s green transition by boosting circularity at local and regional level. It is a rather unique multi-stakeholder collaboration and support scheme.

To build capacity and drive economic growth, the CCRI works to boost collaboration, knowledge sharing, innovation and upscaling, which are essential for making the circular economy more widespread and mainstream.

Delivering concrete solutions can also be challenging, given that economic sectors, value chains and services vary greatly across Europe. The CCRI therefore aims to share replicable best practices to help cities and regions find concrete Circular Systemic Solutions (CSS) that suit their own needs.

The CCRI also provides financial and technical support, including: 

• financial support to demonstration projects (through Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe grants: estimated €200 million over six years);
• financial support for project development assistance (PDA) and technical assistance services for investments in circular economy at local and regional scale, delivered through PDA grants from Horizon Europe and the future Circular Economy Technical Assistance Facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB) (estimated €40-50 million);
• financial support to cross-cutting projects, such as coordination and support actions that address broader themes (e.g. governance models) relevant for the implementation of the circular economy;
• cooperation and support by the CCRI Coordination and Support Office (CCRI-CSO);
• further assistance (non-financial, e.g. advisory services, support on circular economy governance, promotion of good practices) from collaborating organisations, such as the EIB Circular City Centre - C3, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ‘Programme on the Circular Economy in Cities and Regions’, as well as the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and many other CCRI Associated Partners.

The following diagram illustrates the CCRI Support Scheme, including the support provided by the CCRI, the CCRI-CSO and collaborating organisations and initiatives.

The CCRI-CSO is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the CCRI. Its international team of circular economy experts offers practical, tailor-made support to speed up circular economy implementation in cities and regions.

More specifically, the CCRI-CSO:

• supports cooperation, synergies and complementarities between the CCRI Pilots and Fellows, CCRI Projects, Associated Partners and other relevant stakeholders;
• assists the CCRI Pilot cities and regions with the development of their CSS, as well as supporting good practice exchange and upscaling;
• analyses the main research and innovation gaps, but also the main (policy, technical, regulatory) barriers and drivers to circular economy transition at local and regional scale, and providing policy recommendations to overcome them;
• presents lessons learned from CCRI-CSO activities for further dissemination, communication and awareness raising activities.  

Further details on the work of the CCRI-CSO can be found here.

More information about the roles of the Associated Partners and CCRI Projects as well as the support provided to CCRI Pilots and Fellows is available on the CCRI stakeholders page.

Aside from the support provided to and by the CCRI stakeholders, the initiative is open to any European city, region and territorial cluster interested in learning more about the circular economy at local and regional level.

There are many reasons for cities, regions and territorial clusters to get involved, including:

• facilitated knowledge sharing with other front-running cities and regions through various events;
• easily actionable guidance for the development and implementation of Circular Economy Action Plans and CSS, including the respective Circular Economy Investment Plans, through the CCRI methodology;
• quick access to relevant resources to address knowledge or capacity gaps, for example case studies and other relevant knowledge categories (via the support materials section of the CCRI website);
• first-hand information about upcoming funding opportunities;
• facilitated evaluation and monitoring of the implementation process of a CSS through a dedicated self-assessment tool;
• greater opportunities for cooperation with and support from partner initiatives and organisations;
• increased visibility for commitments and actions.

Interested stakeholders who are not participating as Pilots or Fellows may also be able to participate in CCRI events. Make sure you keep an eye on this website to stay up to date on opportunities and activities via the CCRI’s collaborating partners.

Launched and funded by the EU as part of the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) focuses on implementing the circular economy across Europe’s cities and regions.

The EU’s transition to a circular economy will reduce pressure on natural resources and create sustainable growth and jobs. It will also help achieve the 2050 climate neutrality target set out in the European Green Deal. Europe’s cities and regions are best placed to drive this transition, with many already drawing up their own plans.

The CCRI aims to increase synergies among projects and initiatives, disseminate relevant knowledge, and give greater visibility to best practices. Combining this knowledge sharing with technical and financial support, it offers comprehensive support to stakeholders across Europe’s cities and regions. Find out more