Public policy

Question 1

Which levels are there for public policy making?

Answer 1

• international: international conventions & agreements
• EU level: general strategies, policy, specific laws
• National level: adaption of EU level, ind. strategies and policies
• Regional level: realising national level policy by local initiatives
  (- companies: sector based, ind. initiatives. non public)

Question 2

What different types of policy instruments are there?

Answer 2

• Administrative (regulatory), Economical, informative
• Mandatory, Voluntary

EX

• A-M: bans, standards, licenses
• A-V: Standards, agreements between gov and ind
• E-M: Taxes, fees, subsidies
• E-V: loan guarantees, charges
• I-M: reporting requirements, labeling, educations
• I-V: certification schemes, awareness raising companies

Question 3

Policy approaches for catalyzing change:

Answer 3

Enable

• Remove barriers
• give info
• Provide skills and capacity
• promote viable alts.

Engage

• Supply chain agreements
• Media campaigns

Enforce

• Target
• Regulations
• Penalties and fines

Encourage

• Tax system
• Expenditure grants
• Reward schemes

Exemplify

• Targets
• Regulations
• Penalties and fines

Question 4

What are the 3 steps in the EUs new action plan?

Answer 4

1. Product design
2. Consumer and public buyers
3. Production processes

Question 5

Describe the 3 steps of the EUs new action plan.

Answer 5

1. Product design
   - Ecodesign framework applicable to broadest possible range of products
   - In particular: improve product durability, reusability, upgradeability, repairability, addressing hazardous waste in products and increasing the recycled content in products
   - European Circular Database to mobilise potential of digitalisation
2. Consumer and public buyer
   - Embed a ‘right to repair’ in the EU consumer and product policies by 2021
   - More reliable info about products at sale, including lifespan and env. performance
   - increase uptake of green public procurement
3. Production processes
   In synergy with the Industrial strategies
   - integrate circular economy practices
   - Facilitating industrial symbiosis
   - Promoting digital technology for trading, tracing and mapping of resources

Question 6

What are the key product value chain for:

• Electronics
• Textiles
• Plastics
• Packaging
• Food
• Waste

Answer 6

• Electronics: longer lifetime, reuse and repairability, upgrading. EU wide
• Textiles: strengthen industry competitiveness and innovation, circular textiles, reuse and new business models
• Plastics: increase recycling, use of bio-based and biodegradable plastics
• Packaging: reuse increase
• Food: waste reduction, explore legislation on reuse to replace single use package and cutlery
• Waste: waste prevention is key

Question 7

What is a difference between the Swedish and the US strategy for CE?

Answer 7

• The measure to develop bioeconomy - because that is very important to swedens economy
• To prioritize metals and minerals critical to innovation - because of mining in sweden

Question 8

Crucial policy changes with challenges:

Answer 8

• To express the orientation of current politics, but should preferably be long-term for stable conditions
• Needs to be carefully aligned with the aim targeted and regulated close to the problem
• Involves many sectors and actors for which effects may differ.
• Conflicts and unintended impacts may arise
• Should not be costly, but cost-effective
• Remove barriers and reward good activities or phase out and punish?
  Requires monitoring of the progress, which in itself is challenging and costly