Highlights
New Action Plan for the Circular Economy Officially Published: PAEC 2030
March 24, 2026
On March 24, Council of Ministers Resolution No. 58/2026 was published, approving the Circular Economy Action Plan 2025–2030 and setting out the national strategy to accelerate the transition to a more circular and resource-efficient economy.
One particularly important point: the plastics sector is identified as one of the priority value chains for the circular transition in Portugal.
Some highlights of the plan:
- Plastics are among the priority sectors, alongside construction, textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, agri-food, distribution, and tourism
- Focus on eco-design, encouraging more durable, repairable, and recyclable products
- Greater use of secondary raw materials, reinforcing the role of recycling
- Innovation and financing to accelerate circular solutions and business models
- An integrated approach to value chains, involving industry, the scientific community, and public entities
Three levels of intervention:
- Macro actions: public policies, financing, innovation, education, and circularity instruments
- Meso actions: specific initiatives for priority economic sectors
- Micro actions: territorial projects such as circular cities and circular business hubs
The plan, which is intended as a strategic public policy instrument, emerges in a context where Portugal still has an overall material circularity rate below the EU average, reinforcing the need to accelerate the transition to more sustainable production and consumption models.
See the document: