Η επίδραση του νομοθετικού πλαισίου της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης στη μετάβαση προς την κυκλική οικονομία στην Ελλάδα

Μιχαλούλης, Ιωάννης

The impact of the legislative framework of the European Union on the transition to the circular economy in Greece

Master Thesis

Author

Μιχαλούλης, Ιωάννης

Date

2025-11

Abstract

This thesis follows a bibliographic and qualitative approach, based primarily on the analysis of legislative texts, official European strategies, regulations, and directives, as well as statistical data from recognized sources, such as the European Commission and Eurostat. The purpose of this study is to capture and interpret the impact of the European Union (EU) legislative framework on Greece’s transition towards a Circular Economy, through three main axes: the conceptual approach of this economic model, the presentation of the European institutional framework, and the examination of Greece’s progress in this transition in comparison with other EU countries. Initially, the concept of the Circular Economy is presented within the framework of the European Green Deal (Chapter 1), which sets the targets of climate neutrality by 2050 and a 55% reduction in emissions by 2030. The basic principles and applications of the Circular Economy are analyzed, while its benefits, challenges, and links to Sustainable Development and the Bioeconomy are highlighted. Subsequently, the EU institutional framework is presented (Chapter 2), with emphasis on the “Circular Economy Action Plan,” the “Single-Use Plastics Directive” (this Directive sets specific targets for the recycling of single-use plastic bottles, namely 77% by 2025 and 90% by 2029, as well as the incorporation of recycled plastic in them at a rate of at least 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030.), the “EU Taxonomy,” the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) Directive and the “Omnibus” proposal, as well as disclosure standards, such as ESRS (European Sustainability Reporting Standards), GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), and ATHEX (Athens Exchange Group). The analysis then turns to the alignment of this framework with Greek legislation (Chapter 3) including the National Circular Economy Action Plan 2021–2025, Green Public Procurement, and the transposition of the CSRD Directive along with the related challenges, followed by the presentation of circular economy initiatives and programs implemented in Greece (Chapter 4). Finally, the study analyzes the impact of the EU legislative framework on Greece’s transition to the Circular Economy (Chapter 5), addressing prospects, obstacles, and means of improvement, while providing a comparative analysis of Greece’s performance with that of Sweden, Portugal, and Hungary. The analysis shows that Greece lags behind in recycling and investment, yet demonstrates positive results in WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) recycling and the trade of recyclable materials. Furthermore, new Circular Economy indicators are proposed, such as the multiple product use cycles indicator, the circularity gap indicator, and the circular product design indicator, among others, which cover social and other dimensions, thereby strengthening the existing monitoring framework.

Postgraduate Studies Programme

Βιοοικονομία, Κυκλική Οικονομία και Βιώσιμη Ανάπτυξη

Department

Σχολή Οικονομικών, Επιχειρηματικών και Διεθνών Σπουδών. Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

Number of pages

139

Language

Greek

URI

https://dione.lib.unipi.gr/xmlui/handle/unipi/18729

Collections

Τμήμα Οικονομικής Επιστήμης

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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as
Αναφορά Δημιουργού-Μη Εμπορική Χρήση-Όχι Παράγωγα Έργα 3.0 Ελλάδα