APRIL 2026

Dear ECOS subscriber,

This month we hosted a webinar to discuss the proposed EU Product Act and we co-hosted a session on the Industrial Accelerator Act – missed it? Watch back the recordings in this edition of our newsletter.

We also announced some new vacancies in the ECOS team this month – and shared a new interview with our latest member - we invite you to join the ECOS network!

All this and more in this edition of the ECOS newsletter.

Watch it again – Unboxing the EU Product Act

The European Commission’s proposed ‘EU Product Act’ could provide necessary revisions to ensure coherence and consistency and further reinforce EU product policy. Watch back the recording of our recent webinar, where our experts unpack this framework of EU legislation and discuss how to build a competitive and future-proof Single Market that is fit for circular economy and the digital transition.

Watch it again – Decoding the Industrial Accelerator Act

The IAA’s impact on concrete and steel and public procurement for construction and infrastructure projects in Europe will be substantial - for better or for worse. Watch the recording of our webinar, with Climate Group, looked at how the EU can achieve its main objective of increasing public demand for low-carbon materials

Meet ECOTECA - our new member from Romania!

ECOTECA is a Romanian technical NGO active in circular economy and waste management policy and they have recently joined ECOS. Learn more about our latest member in our recent interview.

Green digitalisation

We joined InDiCo-Global’s stakeholder group meeting to present our latest project to implement green digitalisation in Kenya and facilitate knowledge exchange between European and African standardisation organisations to promote technical collaboration on environmental challenges.

Planned eco-label for steel risks greenwashing Europe’s blast furnaces, NGOs warn

NGOs have raised the alarm that the line between fossil-based and clean production of steel is being blurred and could significantly undermine investment in real decarbonisation. Under the EU’s new ecodesign rules, the JRC has proposed a labelling system for steel that would label polluting technologies, e.g. coal-based steel, as high as class B or even A.

EU can solve its methane problem within a decade, if it acts now

Cutting human-caused methane emissions would have an immediate impact, but how can Europe keep its promise on methane? Reach out to ECOS Programme Manager Edoardo Bodo, who explains how in Sustainable Views by the Financial Times.

19 - 22 May

ITU 16^th Symposium on ICT, Environment, Climate Change and Circular Economy

ECOS is co-organising an event with the International Telecommunications Union on driving digital climate action through standards. The event will focus on standards-based solutions that support environmentally sustainable digital transformation in Africa.

• Addressing microplastics release from apparel

• Extended Producer Responsibility: Joint call to maintain Authorised Representative obligations
• Food as a strategic sector: Strengthening EU commitment to sustainable food procurement

Get involved with ECOS

Trainee - Circular Economy and Nature Protection

Learn about environmental policy and standards whilst supporting our Circular Economy and Nature team and gain valuable experience working in a dynamic and influential environmental NGO.

Deadline: 14 May

Apply today >>

Vacancy – HR and Administration Officer

We are looking for a highly motivated HR and Administration Officer to join our Operations team to support the team with HR and operations administration, and office management.

Deadline: 17 May

Apply today >>

Am I affected by the end of 2G and 3G?

This month France began a phase out of the 2G network, which will be followed by the shutdown of 3G in 2028. Our member HOP writes that up to 12 million devices are affected [FR], ranging from mobile phones and elevators to emergency call systems in cars and certain medical devices.

A new Public Procurement Act serving Europe’s workers, sustainable businesses and social economy actors

RREUSE and its partners from the Network for Sustainable Development in Public Procurement have sent a joint letter to the European Commission outlining key priorities for the upcoming Public Procurement Act.

PPWR Guidance provides necessary clarity, implementation must proceed without delay

The Rethink Plastic Alliance welcomes the European Commission’s publication of its Guidance on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which must now support rapid and effective implementation.

Making plastics recovery work: Viability, traceability, and transition pathways

13 May, Online

ECOS Senior Programme Manager Marxine Waite will speak about traceability, standards, and regulatory alignment, as part of the SMEP programme’s webinar series on plastics end-of-life systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. These webinars will bring together practitioners, policymakers, and standards bodies to share insights on standards, regulation, and transition pathways in plastics management.