Cited by 13Policy Transfer and LearningEuropean Union Policy and GovernanceSustainability and Climate Change Governance

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 64 of the 64 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 2 of the 40 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

The Circular Economy in European Union Policy: Explaining an idea's success through policy learning

Open access
Pinyol Alberich, Josep, Hartley, Sarah·2024·Environmental Policy and Governance

Abstract

AbstractThe circular economy (CE) was adopted in 2015 by the European Union (EU). Since its emergence, the CE has proved to be a remarkably powerful idea that has shifted the understanding of the economy, and consequently, it has shaped the EU's economic and environmental policies. The public policy literature theorises such shifts in collective understanding through the concept of policy learning, a process through which ideas are understood and adopted. Yet this literature lacks clarity on the factors that can explain policy learning within a policy community. We use the case of the EU's adoption of the CE to address this gap, exploring the factors that account for the EU's adoption of the CE from the policy‐learning perspective. We show how actors in the policy community have constructed, championed, supported and pioneered the CE and argue that these four factors have mutually reinforced each other, leading to policy learning and the wide acceptance of this idea within EU policy‐making. Revealing these factors helps advance policy learning theory and contributes to the CE literature and environmental policy and governance literature more generally by furthering our understanding of how and why certain policy ideas are adopted.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The paper uses the EU’s adoption of the circular economy (CE) as a case of policy learning to explain why the idea succeeded. It argues four mutually reinforcing factors—idea construction, idea leadership, idea empowerment, and idea pioneership—drove the CE’s entrenchment in EU policy, culminating in the 2015 and 2020 CE Action Plans.

Key findings

  • The CE’s adoption is explained by four factors: idea construction, idea leadership, idea empowerment, and idea pioneership; these factors shaped policy learning and reinforced each other through positive feedback loops.
  • Idea construction worked through value alignment and problem fitness: the CE was framed as an economic growth agenda and as a solution to environmental problems, attracting business and policy support.
  • Idea leadership involved coalition building and policy introduction, notably by Ellen MacArthur/the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and former EU Commissioner Janez Potočnik; the CE was first introduced in the 2014 package, withdrawn in December 2014, then followed by the 2015 CE Action Plan and a second action plan in 2020.
  • Policy learning was politically biased: EU policymakers’ ecomodernist positions, powerful advocacy groups, and influential businesses helped enact a modernist version of the CE, while more transformative versions lacked support.

Methods

  • Between 2020 and 2021, the lead author conducted and analysed 48 elite interviews with stakeholders involved in the EU CE adoption: 20 policy stakeholders, 12 civil society members, 10 business leaders, and 6 academics.
  • Interviewees were selected for first-hand knowledge of EU debates and decision-making around the CE.
  • Interviews were analysed inductively using Gioia et al. (2013) to increase qualitative rigour.

Limitations

  • The paper states that using a single case study to theorise policy learning inherently limits validity.
  • The paper states that the interview scope was limited: it was not possible to access certain actors, such as policymakers who opposed CE adoption or actors supporting more transformative changes at the EU.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1002/eet.2088

Cites

64 of 64 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

55 Own result · 54 Own interpretation · 30 No basis given · 15 Sources not found · 10 Not checked yet · 3 No full text of the sources · 3 Own method · 1 Partly supported · accuracy not yet measured

Verify all 8 references — free account

Show all 86 claims

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 63
  • Probably not a substantial claim. 30
85 of 85
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    At the time of the CE's promotion, the idea of sustainability was in tension with economic policy, as environmental policies were seen as restrictive, placing limitations on businesses and the economy.

    “At that time, the idea of sustainability was in tension with economic policy, as environmental policies were seen as restrictive, placing limitations on businesses and the economy.”
1 of 1

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

1 of 1

Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. Balch O., 2014, European Commission to decide fate of circular economy package
  2. Crisp J., 2014, Commission plans to ditch circular economy and air pollution rules
  3. Ekins P., 2019, The circular economy: What, why, how and where
  4. Heclo H., 1974, HecloModern social politics in Britain and Sweden
  5. Skogstad G., 2005, Policy networks and policy communities: Conceptual evolution and governing realities, Annual Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association, 1

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Metadata

Authors
Pinyol Alberich, J., & Hartley, S.
Affiliations
  • University of Exeter Business School Exeter UK
  • University of Exeter (GB)
Venue
Environmental Policy and Governance
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2023-11-20
Volume
34
Issue
4
Pages
363-374
ISSN
  • 1756-932X (ISSN-L)
  • 1756-9338
OpenAlex
W4388851379
Cited by
13
References
64
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2
FWCI
7.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Environmental Policy and Governance (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Open Research Exeter (University of Exeter) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
HORIZON EUROPE Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (814247)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policy Transfer and Learning
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › European Union Policy and Governance
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Keywords
circular economy, policy learning, European Union policy, policy communities, environmental policy, policy making

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