Think-Tanks'Press

One digital tool that deserves special attention is the digital product passport (DPP).

While general awareness and knowledge of the DPP remain limited, the ongoing developments could provide strong impetus for a Circular Economy.

On 30 March, as part of a new legislative package on the CE, the EU launched the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI), setting the stage for the wide-scale introduction of DPPs.

Having an overarching policy framework on DPPs is important to improve information transfer between the relevant stakeholders, be they public authorities, companies, consumers or civil society actors.

The most interesting Digital Economy Agreement is the DEPA, developed by Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, the group that launched the Pacific Three Closer Economic Partnership (P3 CEP) negotiations that eventually grew into the CPTPP.

Like the P3 CEP, the DEPA is seen as a template for a much larger agreement, including possibly for the WTO itself.

Already South Korea and China have formally applied to accede,
others are likely to follow.