Rural Innovation

SPECIAL REPORT | NOV. - DEC. 2020 https://eurac.tv/9R-t

With the support of RURAL INNOVATION

SPECIAL REPORT https://eurac.tv/9R-t

Rural areas in Europe face particular challenges: lower median income than big cities, lack of social and cul- tural life, lack of internet infrastructure, and depopulation. By mid-2021, the European Commission wants to articulate a new long-term vision for rural areas, saying they have a special role to play in the transition to a green and sustainable Europe. Contents

Can Europe buck the trend of deprivation in rural areas? 4 Dutch MEP: We have to close the gap between rural and urban areas 6 Scientists look at triggering rainfall, saving water to tackle droughts 9 ‘From grass to glass’: how dairy can go green 12 The importance of local governments in the transition to a Circular Economy: the example of Fryslân and Leeuwarden 15 4 SPECIAL REPORT | RURAL INNOVATION | EURACTIV

Can Europe buck the trend of deprivation in rural areas

By Kira Taylor | EURACTIV.com

In the Netherlands, the city of Leeuwarden may be among those succeeding to shape a new reality for Europe’s rural areas. [jbdodane / Flickr]

ural communities make up those woes, with droughts and soil “Too many bright young people 45% of EU territory, but face degradation damaging agricultural are leaving to choose jobs and dreams Rpersistent problems caused by land and natural areas that are key in the city,” she told participants at a social isolation, which are increasingly for biodiversity and meeting the EU’s webinar in July. compounded by climate change. In climate goals. the Netherlands, a small municipality In September, the European has decided to take the matter into its In a recent poll, 75% of European Commission launched a public own hands. farmers said that climate change has consultation on its new initiative for already impacted their daily work. So a long-term vision for rural areas, Rural life across the EU is often innovative solutions to address these due to be published in mid-2021. This viewed through postcards of dramatic issues and drive new business into Communication will support a debate scenery and picturesque villages, but rural communities is seen as essential at European level on the future of rural for the 96 million Europeans who to reversing the trend. areas and the place they should have live in rural areas, the reality is often in our society. grimmer: a lack of public services, In her agenda for Europe, Ursula fewer job prospects, and an ageing von der Leyen, the President of the Iratxe García Pérez, a Spanish population. European Commission, highlighted lawmaker who leads the socialist and the need to support rural areas, saying democrats (S&D) in the European Climate change is adding to EU regional funds had to go further. Parliament, firmly rejects the notion

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that rural areas are old-fashioned. and the other was that Leeuwarden technology sector. had the most polluted river in the “The future of Europe’s local Netherlands,” said Friso Douwstra, “This strengthens the global realities can only be shaped locally,” Vice Mayor of Leeuwarden. position of the European water she said. Innovations from the WaterCampus technology sector,” the campus says have transformed it into a vibrant on its website. Katrīna Miška-Idū, of the Latvian river. Rural Forum, European Rural Youth In fact, building economic and Parliament, echoed this, saying: According to Douwstra this shows social resilience was always at the “Synergies between expertise that that rural areas can tackle their heart of the project. Before the launch older generations can provide and weaknesses. “See if you can solve your of its two campuses, Leeuwarden innovative and creating solutions weaknesses by creating innovative only had three universities of applied that the youth can bring out is the solutions to tackle those problems. sciences and had a low education and key to the success of bringing new When you do, you can use that to high unemployment level compared energies to rural areas.” solve problems internationally,” he to other places in the Netherlands. added. Miška-Idū wants to turn the The city now has a university tide by linking old technology and Today, the Leeuwarden campus and over 250 European and knowledge with new ideas. Speaking WaterCampus boasts itself as “a American stock exchange companies at the July event, she said she sees meeting point of the Dutch water as part of the Water Alliance. progress as going back to nature and technology sector” and has the Creating academic positions was key rural roots with “a brand-new spirit”. ambition of playing a “uniting role to revitalising the city, as one hired for the rest of Europe as well”. PHD worker will provide two or three LOCAL SOLUTIONS TO lower paid jobs. GLOBAL PROBLEMS With the effects of climate change becoming more severe, momentum “Our unemployment rate is In the Netherlands, the city of is growing behind innovation to dropping. The education rate is Leeuwarden may be among those tackle water-related issues ranging rising. We see that the academic succeeding to shape a new reality for from floods to water scarcity and culture in the city is growing. That’s a Europe’s rural areas. drought. culture we want to give floor to in our city,” said Douwstra. Until recently, the small In January, the Netherlands municipality situated in the northern will host an international Climate There are also very practical part of the country was struggling Adaptation Summit, bringing benefits. On the dairy campus, with problems typical to rural together experts and politicians from research into membranes to filter communities, including an ageing across the globe to discuss solutions milk onsite will mean lower pressure population and lack of high paid jobs. for adapting to extreme rainfall, on road traffic. drought, heatwaves and sea level In a bid to reverse the trend, the rise. Participants will also exchange “We will have 55,000 less vehicle city developed two research centres – best practices on how cities and rural movements,” said Douwstra. “I won’t a water and a dairy campus – tapping areas can build up resilience against have to invest the amount of money into public and private investment weather extremes. that I had to before in repairing sources in order to develop world- roads. I will have less pollution from class innovative solutions for rural In Leeuwarden, the water campus the vehicles.” areas. aims to play its part by offering a meeting point for scientists, “The start of the WaterCampus businesses and governments from was based on two things. One was the all over Europe in order to foster social economic situation of our city world class innovation in the water 6 SPECIAL REPORT | RURAL INNOVATION | EURACTIV

INTERVIEW Dutch MEP: We have to close the gap between rural and urban areas

By Kira Taylor | EURACTIV.com

Jan Huitema at European Parliament plenary session joint debate on the common agricultural policy [Benoit Bourgeois / European Parliament]

nnovation in agriculture and Parliament. He is a member of the to close that. We need to because beyond is vital to close the widening Committee on the Environment, Public otherwise, and you see it already a little Igap that leads to polarisation and Health and Food Safety and Delegation bit, there will be polarisation, some tension between rural and urban for relations with the United States. He tension, and some misunderstanding. areas, says Jan Huitema MEP. Rural spoke with EURACTIV’s Kira Taylor. development plans must be made Closing the gap is the overall goal. with the local community and not just What are the key issues that need How to do that? First of all, it’s good in Brussels offices, he argues. to be addressed in rural areas at the to have good infrastructure in a rural moment? area and also to have some sort of an Jan Huitema is a Dutch MEP investment climate that people can with the centrist Renew Europe There is a gap between urban start their business or that jobs are political group in the European regions and rural regions. We have being created.

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The European Union is [working recreational role for a lot of people, Enforcement is an issue across a lot of on] broadband internet. That’s one of so it’s a multifunctional community. different sectors. What do you think the key issues that should be solved in The production of sustainable and needs to be brought in to support and these modern times and it’s essential renewable energy is one of these. enforce these policies? for a good infrastructure and a good investment climate. The European Union has schemes like The new Common Agricultural just transition and regional funds. Policy is an excellent example. Of How have the issues in rural areas What more do you believe is needed to course, it’s not decided yet, but the been added to by climate change? support these rural areas? Commission proposed that greening measures should be transformed They see the effects of climate There should be a clear link in eco-schemes. Those schemes change. For example, farmers have between actions that deliver on the will no longer be monitored by an big problems with drought. It has reduction of CO2 emissions and administration-based approach, but a an effect on the whole rural area, a some sort of payment or reward. You result-oriented approach. lot of jobs are directly or indirectly have a very clear one, the European connected to agriculture. I think they emissions trading system. In rural It’s no longer that Brussels states feel the urgency to do something areas, it could also be very interesting, exactly what kind of measures should about it. for example, if you could use the soil be implemented and those measures as a carbon storage vehicle and that, are the same throughout the whole However, how to do it? This is for every tonne of carbon you store in European Union, so you get a one size something for political debate, to get the soil, you can get a certificate for it fits nobody. Now with indicators, the the support from rural areas that we and increase the organic matter in the European Union is measuring what have to invest in this and it will cost soil. are the actual results on biodiversity, money. on climate change, on animal welfare, Some regions in the European on pollution. How can regions, which are dependent Union, for example Austria, are doing on agriculture, diversify and be able to that. I see clear benefits and a clear Looking at rural communities, how make a living in the 21st century? win: not only for climate, but also can they compete with cities for for example, for the farmer and the keeping young people. Young people go There are a lot of challenges, but community. With healthier soil, you to university, they like the idea of a big also opportunities. In the European have better production, less pressure city, what can a rural place offer them? Union, we are one of the most from the seasons and better water innovative and knowledge-based capacity. You have to make it sexy a little agriculture sectors in the world. If bit, no? I think innovation plays a role there is one continent that can try Do you think more money needs to be there. to create a new solution to combat made available from the EU in order to climate change, I think it’s the help projects like those? I see more and more that people European agricultural sector. are very much interested in food A lot of public money is available. production and climate change. Do you think that some rural It’s more about the rules and how to And a big chunk of really making a communities will need to move do it. And legislation that is fit for difference is in rural areas and not in away from agriculture and into, say, purpose, practical and workable in the city. Therefore, it’s so important renewable energies? the field. It is sometimes a problem that you have a good infrastructure that plans are made in offices in in rural areas that people from Sure. The rural area is not Brussels, but theory and practice are universities can work and live in rural only about producing food. It has sometimes different. communities. bioenergy energy production and a

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Maybe also with COVID, people are thinking, ‘Okay, yeah, my life is tedious now with the lockdown and not so nice anymore. I would like to have a garden and space’.

You talk about infrastructure. How can you tackle the remoteness of these places, and bringing in the transport, digital and energy infrastructure, which is presumably going to cost a lot of money to introduce?

It also has opportunities and rewards, not only economically, but also ecologically. We really have to invest in this and don’t look only to the short term, but also to the long term.

More and more it’s not only the hard transport by road or by rail, or by air, but it’s much more by internet. I don’t know if that has a big impact on environment. I think on the contrary, if you go forward with those innovations, it can reduce the environmental impact tremendously. SPECIAL REPORT | RURAL INNOVATION | EURACTIV 9 Scientists look at triggering rainfall, saving water to tackle droughts

By Kira Taylor | EURACTIV.com

For the Leeuwarden city council, the research going on in the Water Campus is bringing more than just innovations on water saving technologies. The campus also helped revive the entire area. [Hindrik Sijens / Flickr]

ver the past fifty years, Pieter de Jong, EU representative of water scarcity on a chronic basis. droughts have become the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden, Farmers in Spain, Portugal, Greece, Oincreasingly common in northern Netherlands. Italy and parts of France have become Europe. Climate change is not accustomed to increasing episodes of only reducing the amount of water “Climate change will only increase drought and water stress. available but also affecting how clean this pressure on available water it is, with floods bringing soil and resources,” added de Jong, who is But water shortages are now also other elements into the water supply EU representative for Wetsus, the becoming an increasing concern chain. European Centre of Excellence for in regions like Northern France, Sustainable Water Technology. Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, “The topic of water is becoming and Luxembourg, which until recently of increasing importance,” said Half of EU regions already face haven’t had droughts.

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This coincides with a growing The project aims to understand FORK TO FARM: population and increasing what factors influence evaporation, RECOVERING NUTRIENTS consumption of energy, food, and transport and precipitation and consumer goods, which all add kickstart the water cycle to restore Other technologies developed in pressure on water use. self-reliant ecosystems. the WaterCampus are related to water reuse in agriculture. Earlier this year, “If you ask somebody how much “We’re very hopeful that, with this, the European Commission introduced water they’re using, most people, if we could actually help drier areas and its ‘farm to fork’ strategy as part of they know, might say 120-160 litres maybe whole countries to become efforts to produce healthy, sustainable per person per day, because that’s on more fertile again. There are plans to food. your water bill,” said de Jong. “But it’s work with, for instance, the Middle been calculated that, if you look at East or Northern Africa to see if this However, water treatment plants the overall consumption of water for could be applied on a large scale,” were never designed to remove these everything that you do, buy and eat, said de Jong who added however that nutrients and return them to farms, then actually it’s more in the order of research is still in the early stages. meaning they can be lost or become 4,000 litres of water per day.” pollutants. WATER REUSE TRIGGERING RAINFALL “We’ve actually removed humans Other techniques that are being a little bit from the natural place in One way to tackle water shortages developed in the Leeuwarden the global ecosystem. Next to the could be through triggering rainfall. WaterCampus is to collect and store farm to fork strategy, you might also Rain occurs in two cycles, small cycles water when it does rain. need the fork to farm strategy to get caused by evaporation from vegetation all the nutrients that we as humans or similar geographical features, Water reuse is becoming accumulate back towards those fields,” which rises into the atmosphere and increasingly necessary to avoid said de Jong. then falls in the same area, and long Europe’s water drying up. Reusing cycles where water travels a significant water in homes, can help reduce Soil needs nutrients like phosphate, distance between evaporation and demand for tap water and also leading to the EU importing it, relying rainfall. decreases energy usage. on complex geopolitics and creating a larger carbon footprint. One project developed in Hydraloop, a start-up based in Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands, is Leeuwarden that won three Consumer “The main challenge for European attempting to recreate small cycle Technology Association awards in biodiversity loss, besides losing the rainfall, which has decreased over 2020, aims to introduce a greywater habitats themselves, is because of centuries in heavily populated areas, recycling system that would recycle nutrients. You see eutrophication in particularly in the Middle East and and reuse 85% of the water from rivers, lakes, seas, forests and natural North Africa, but also in Europe. showers and other home appliances to habitats. As former Commissioner water the garden or flush toilets. Vella used to indicate, the nutrient “What research shows is, once problem in the sea causes 30 times you have more forests next to the The start-up estimates that homes more negative impact than plastics,” waterfront, next to the seas, you can could save more than 45% on mains said de Jong. attract more clouds that enter the water with its technology. Moreover, country and then you especially need up to 45% of sewage emission could New initiatives aim at taking these forests also to trigger clouds, to trigger be reduced while saving energy and nutrients from water treatment plants rain,” said de Jong. reducing associated carbon emissions. back to the soil, closing the loop of the supply chain.

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economic situation, so low education, One EU supported project, polluted areas, and how we could use Scalibur, is producing biopolymers that vulnerability of our city to turn that consume fatty acids in wastewater it around,” said Friso Douwstra, Vice treatment plants that can be used as Mayor of Leeuwarden. biodegradable capsules and reduces plastic pollution. Those also have According to Douwstra, there are the added benefit of creating a “slow- also lessons to be learnt at EU level release fertiliser”, which increases on how European funds can help nutrients in soil. rejuvenate rural areas: “Choose where you put your money and your effort FIXING LOCAL PROBLEMS and focus. Put all the strength of the EU on a topic in a specific area and dare For the Leeuwarden city council, to choose,” the Vice Mayor said. the research going on in the WaterCampus has brought more than just innovations on water saving technologies. The campus also helped revive the entire region, which used to suffer from the traditional ills of deprivation in rural areas: remoteness, low paid jobs and depopulation.

The city is now bustling with activity brought by international students, academics and business representatives who tend to have higher wages and purchasing power than the local average.

“What we learn when we look back in our history is that we saw what were the most vulnerable parts of our socio- 12 SPECIAL REPORT | RURAL INNOVATION | EURACTIV ‘From grass to glass’: how dairy can go green

By Kira Taylor | EURACTIV.com

Feeding strategies, like incorporating seaweed into fodder, can reduce methane emissions from cows by around 30%. [Arctic Wolf / Flickr]

olluting emissions have long largest meat and dairy corporations been a concern in the dairy were responsible for more annual The Dairy Campus in Leeuwarden Pindustry, with methane released greenhouse gas emissions than global is an open ecosystem and living lab, from cow belches and flatulence oil majors ExxonMobil, Shell or BP. where researchers work together with fueling global warming, causing the business community, education floods and droughts, which in turn Cutting down on these is essential and dairy farmers on innovations that impacts on production. to helping the EU meet its net zero contribute to a more sustainable dairy emissions target for 2050 and make chain. Creating a sustainable supply chain dairy production sustainable. from “grass to glass” while expanding Researchers at the Dairy Campus into global markets is a huge challenge Kees de Koning is innovation work in cooperation with two other for European dairy farmers. manager at the Dairy Campus in thematic campuses in Leeuwarden, the municipality of Leeuwarden, the WaterCampus and the Energy According to Greenpeace, dairy northern Netherlands. To cut down on Campus, to combine the interlinking production is the most emitting pollution, he says farmers have only issues of water technology, energy and farming sector, with a total of 235.73 two solutions: either they reduce the dairy. MtCO2eq emissions in 2018. A number of cows or cut down on the study in 2018 found that the five emissions they create. One solution they are working on

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to cut down emissions is through more stable crop yields. animal feed, looking at how farms In Leeuwarden, the Dairy Campus can incorporate seaweed in feed to “I think if dairy production could looks into various topics, including reduce methane emissions. One be organised in the most efficient smart farming, biodiversity, green project in Australia four years ago way, we could do much more with energy, emissions, resilience, feed found that emissions could be cut by less land,” said de Koning, who efficiency and soil utilisation, with over 90% by feeding the cows with warned however that consumers may around 300 hectares of land and 550 seaweed. not like the idea of a more intensive dairy cows. agricultural system. “We know already that, if we look It educates students from specific differences among cows and 39% of EU territory is grass and secondary applied and vocational combine that with breeding and cropland, but renewable energies like sciences institutions to ensure feeding strategies, you can reduce solar are also looking at arable land the developed innovations can be methane emission by around 30%. for building small-scale solar plants. applied by future professionals If you add some additives to the feed, Putting solar panels on less than 1% across Europe. you can reduce the methane emission of the world’s agricultural land could by over 50%,” de Koning said. produce enough energy to satisfy According to de Koning, the global electricity demand, according key to sustainable milk production Another project that can reduce to a recent study. is to adopt a holistic approach. “I dairy emissions and save water is think that’s the biggest challenge by using membranes to filter water The idea, currently submitted – how to find a good balance in from milk before it is sent to factories as a project proposal, is to develop the requirements, expectations of for processing. Milk is around 90% a hybrid system, where solar and consumers, citizens, society.” water and removing some of this fodder production work side by before processing saves 400,000 side with solar panels that can be “In that way, perhaps we have litres of water per year for the average positioned in more ways to function to reinvent our agrifood system in farm. symbiotically with grassland that can Europe,” he said. still be harvested. This in turn reduces the need to The activity around the Dairy transport milk around, and decreases SolarPower Europe, an industry Campus had another added bonus traffic on local roads, as well as association, says the development of for the municipality. By attracting pressure on finite water resources. agricultural photovoltaics could help students, researchers and business drive the energy transition in rural representatives from across the HYBRID FARMING areas. “If Agri-PV were deployed on world, it also helped revive the entire SYSTEMS only 1% of Europe’s arable land, its region. technical capacity would be over A combined system of solar 700 GW, generating more than “Close cooperation with panels and grazing for animals is 25% of the EU’s current electricity entrepreneurs and business sector is also being looked at in Leeuwarden consumption,” the association said. key, this is our golden milk triangle,” to create a dual income stream and the campus says on its website. tackle problems arising from global warming, giving shade to cows and SUSTAINABILITY Looking at the next decade, their grazing ground. TAILORED TO LOCAL de Koning sees a combination of AREA intensive and small-scale farming When installed directly above developing alongside each other, crops, agricultural photovoltaics – While sustainability is a global depending on location and how or “Agri-PV” – can provide shade challenge for dairy production, much land is available to farmers. for animals while protecting crops solutions needs to be adapted to the against hail or frost, thus enabling local level. Some regions like Britany,

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Northern France, parts of the adding there are three Ps when it Netherlands, Denmark and Northern comes to sustainability: people, Germany might focus more on planet and profitability. “Don’t forget industrial farming, whereas the mid- profitability.” Netherlands and areas around the Alps in France, where land is more “Nowadays I see we are focusing limited, might choose smaller scale, on people, we are focusing on planet, traditional farming. but profit for some reason is far away. I think without profit future Innovation is key across these sustainability will be extremely places, with new data analytics difficult,” he added. tool being increasingly used to develop sustainability by collecting information from individual cows, including weight, milk yield, feed intake, emissions and location.

But to make a difference, these innovations must also be viable for the farmer.

“If we request more from farmers, I think we should also pay more. We should not just go for the lowest price, but for a good price,” said de Koning, SPECIAL REPORT | RURAL INNOVATION | EURACTIV 15

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DISCLAIMER: All opinions in this column reflect the views of the author(s), not of EURACTIV Media network. The importance of local governments in the transition to a Circular Economy: the example of Fryslân and Leeuwarden

By Ewout Oppers | Gemeente Leeuwarden

The Energycampus based in Leeuwarden, testbed for sustainable energy innovations.

hen the European towards a more circular economy Regions and cities have an Commission launched its and an effective execution of the new important role to play in this transition, Wnew Circular Economy CEAP. says Françoise Bonnet, director- Action Plan (CEAP) last March, the general of ACR+. One of the regions world was a different place. Now, Ewout Oppers is the Assistant Project that has become a frontrunner on the as Covid-19 is badly damaging the Manager for International and Economic subject is the Northern Dutch region European economy, calls for a green Affairs of the municipality of Leeuwarden of Fryslân, which is one of the first recovery have become even stronger, (Gemeente Leeuwarden). regions that has set concrete targets boosting the need for the transition for circular public procurement.

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implemented by LRAs across Europe.’ educated members on circular ‘Yes, I think that Local and Regional procurement. ‘All 18 Frysian Authorities (LRAs) should have a One of these regions is Fryslân, governments signed a declaration bigger role in the transition to a circular a rural region in the Northern afterwards, committing to make their economy.’ says Ms. Bonnet. ‘Numerous Netherlands. Determined to become procurement in 2020 for at least 10% stakeholders and decision-makers still Europe’s most circular region by 2025, circular. We’re talking about circa do not acknowledge how important Fryslân is becoming increasingly more 100 to 150 million euros.’ says Ms. this role is. LRAs are key actors for the well known for its unique approach Rijpstra with pride. If it were up to development of circular initiatives on to circular economy. At the core of Ms. Bonnet, policies like these would the ground, in particular due to the this approach is the Circular Fryslân be adopted on a European level as variety of their competences, acting on Association (CFA), an association well: ‘It’s an excellent example, that both supply and demand.’ founded in 2016 by Frysian companies should pave the way to get a European that felt the desire for a platform target. Regarding circular public When asked about these where regional developments procurement, Dutch local, regional competences, she replies: ‘For regarding circular economy could and national authorities are certainly instance, they participate in markets be shared. ‘With the support of the of inspiration.’ through public procurement budgets, regional government, we started our they issue environmental permits association with a raw material flow By bringing together the regional delivered to local enterprises and they analysis, to see where the biggest gains triple helix on the issue of circular influence their consuming citizens, could be made.’ says Houkje Rijpstra, economy in the CFA, other spin-off being the public authorities closest to managing director at CFA. projects have thrived: ‘We’re noticing them.’ that an increasing number of iconic Initially, CFA focused on the themes circular projects are flourishing, These roles, and the fact that of agriculture, construction, food, because members find and connect efficient implementation of European biomass and plastics, but in recent with each other. For instance, and national legislation depends years has expanded its focus with the various members of CFA have jointly on the LRAs, should be enough to themes of water, energy, mobility, realised the circular Energycampus at least consult the LRAs before any education and recreation. ‘We have in Leeuwarden, where circular legal decisions are made, according grown to more than 100 members; innovations regarding the energy to Ms. Bonnet. The LRAs are perfectly 75% of which are companies, the other transition are tested.’ suited to help the Commission develop 25% are all the Frysian governments effective policies that boost circular and knowledge institutions.’ The Energycampus is the economic models and green recovery. latest of the three campuses that At the same time, the Commission can The association prides itself on an boosts innovation in Leeuwarden. further support LRAs by disseminating action-oriented approach. On all the Together with the WaterCampus local circular solutions across Europe. themes, members jointly develop so- and the Dairycampus, specialized called DO-agenda’s, which describe in water technology and agri-food ‘This would be a crucial step the road to becoming the most circular respectively, the Frysian capital offers for scaling up the transition. Too region in 2025 on that specific theme. a strong foundation to develop circular often initiatives are poorly known, On issues that cut though all the innovations, often collaboratively. For including those put in place thanks to themes, like circular procurement, example, think of innovations that European funds.’ For instance, efforts the members work together in a cross- retrieve nutrients from sewage, which to stimulate the resource-efficiency sectoral approach to tackle common can in turn be used as fertilizer for of productive processes or to shorten barriers. agriculture. supply chains. ‘There is no need to look far for solutions.’ stresses Ms In 2019, the association booked What makes the cooperation Bonnet. ‘Many of them are already a great success with a project that of CFA so successful? ‘Scale.’ says

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Ms. Rijpstra. ‘We are convinced that circular movements should be developed at the regional level. Within a region, the ties between businesses, government and education remain short. They feel a collective responsibility for their local environment, they challenge each other and are quickly moved to action.

At the same time, it helps that we don’t have many businesses with headquarters somewhere else, so decision-making power stays in the region.’ But there are also barriers: ‘As opposed to for products, it’s often difficult to access European funds to implement systemic change, which is what circular economy is all about. The Commission could stimulate circular economy more if it supported more projects that look into systemic change.’

The CFA has not found many counterparts in the Netherlands and Europe, but is interested to connect with international partners. ‘The last couple of years we mainly focused on Fryslân, but we’re open to interregional cooperation on the themes of plastics, chemicals or textile, for instance.’ finalizes Ms. Rijpstra, thus answering to Ms. Bonnet’s call to share best practices on regional circular economies. THE DUTCH BID FOR EMA

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