Ökodesign und Kreislaufwirtschaft

Increasing use of resources triggers a need for more governance. In its ”Integrated Product Policy“, the European Union aims at reducing the impact of products on the environment throughout their life cycle and addresses the product’s end-of-life period. Recently, the EU revised the directive on waste No. 2008/98/EC. These activities do not leave the relation between the product law and waste law unaffected. The author tries to identify ways of interlinking the two areas of law for the purpose of a better environmental protection and improving circular economy. She also analyses how to avoid trade-offs caused by the determination of different environmental requirements on products. Furthermore, she assesses how different stakeholders can be addressed, especially manufacturers and consumers, and which instruments the regulations provide.