As part of the Circular City Forum in Genoa the panel held on 21st April highlighted the Interreg Central Europe CE-PRINCE project and Liguria region’s strategic commitment to advancing a circular economy through Green Public Procurement (GPP) and innovation. Integrated within the Regional Sustainable Development Strategy (SRSVS) and the UN Agenda 2030, these regional policies utilize GPP as a primary tool to foster a competitive green market and standardize circularity criteria across sectors such as agrifood, construction, manufacturing, and tourism. Central to this effort is the CE-PRINCE project, a transnational initiative aimed at bridging the gap between public demand for sustainable goods and the private sector’s supply through extensive capacity-building programs, including training for public administrations and specialized technical assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). By establishing regional technical tables and operational protocols among institutional and industrial stakeholders, the initiative seeks to coordinate circularity efforts, improve corporate environmental performance, and ensure businesses are better equipped to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape of green tenders and ESG reporting.
Main topics of the panel:
· Regional policy on the circular economy and the GPP-Plan
· Liguria’s manufacturing sector – challenges and opportunities from a circular economy perspective
· The CE-PRINCE project – objectives and activities
· The training programme for public administrations on CAMs (Criteri Ambientali Minimi – Minimum Environmental Criteria) and technical support for the implementation of innovative environmental criteria in public tenders
· The training programme for businesses on the circular economy and responding to green tenders
Call for applications for a free support programme for businesses to create circular businesses