Developing a circular economy within businesses faces obstacles at regional and national borders due to fragmented regulations and a lack of logical synergies. A new cross-border agreement is set to simplify matters by uniting the strengths of three major European economic powerhouses.
Flanders, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia: A Strengthened Alliance to Drive Forward the Cross-Border Circular Economy
Textiles, batteries, building materials… resource flows do not stop at borders. Faced with this challenge, Flanders, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) have decided to join forces in an ambitious trilateral partnership. The aim is to build on their strong shared industrial base to transform this cross-border region into a European centre of excellence and a leading trans-regional hub for the circular economyThe circular economy is a restorative and regenerative economy. By maintaining the value of the products, materials and resources in the economy through smart product design, repurposing and/or shared use of products, it reduces the extraction of natural resources by using resources already present in the economy..
From Bilateral Cooperation to a Mature Trilateral Partnership
Launched in 2023 with an initial bilateral declaration of intent between Flanders and North Rhine-Westphalia, this cooperation is now officially being extended to the Netherlands, a natural partner from the outset. Signed in November 2025 at the Circular Valley Forum in Wuppertal, this new Joint Declaration of Intent (JDOI) strengthens the political foundations of the project by structurally involving the three governments as well as key public bodies such as OVAM and Vlaanderen Circulair.
In practical terms, the agreement provides for:
- the creation of a Strategic Advisory Committee comprising representatives from the three governments (Environment, Economy and Foreign Affairs)
- the development of common positions vis-à-vis the European Commission to jointly influence future regulations
- the development of concrete demonstration projects eligible for the European Interreg and ERDF funding programmes
Focus on Three Key Sectors
The operational core of this alliance rests on three thematic working groups. These bring together businesses, policy-makers, sectoral networks and leading research centres (such as VITO in Flanders, the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany and TU Delft in the Netherlands). Efforts are prioritised on:
- circular construction
- green chemistry
- batteries
What this Means for Your SMESmall and medium-sized enterprises
Do you manufacture, purchase or integrate circular solutions in industry or construction? This strengthened cross-border alliance helps you to:
- anticipate European regulations thanks to the common positions put forward by this hub to the Commission
- benefit from knowledge and technology transfers resulting from cooperation between leading research institutes (VITO, Fraunhofer, TU Delft)
- collaborate on a larger scale by incorporating cross-border pilot projects and opportunities for sourcing or processing resources beyond your regional borders
Key Takeaways
This alliance demonstrates that the transition to a high-performing circular economy is possible, provided efforts are harmonised at a trans-regional level. It also proves that cooperation between SMEs, cutting-edge innovation centres and public authorities is a tangible catalyst for change, helping to reduce our dependence on primary raw materials and lower our emissions.
For more information: visit this website (in Dutch)