CRNI policy and advocacy updates 30/06/2022
N.B all members
We will be providing space to discuss all topics mentioned below at our upcoming regional meetings, which are being held in-person at member organisations towards the end of August. You should have received your calendar invites already, if not, let us know.
You can see all the dates here.
Insurance
We have also been given the opportunity to attend a Zoom meeting with him through the Alliance for Insurance Reform at 2pm next Thursday, July 7th. If you would like to attend, simply respond to this email.
Public procurement
By now, you will have received your ‘placeholder invite’ for the in-person launch of CRNI’s Green Procurement Trade Fair launch on September 28th at The Rediscovery Centre, Dublin.Please check your Google calendar and let me know if you didn’t receive your invite!
We’re holding information sessions to get CRNI members up to speed re: the virtual exhibition and the launch event itself, as we will need member input and engagement on both. Please register and attend a session to confirm your participation in this initiative!
VAT for social enterprises
Announcement of reforms to CE, Tús and Rural Social Scheme
Yesterday, Ministers Humphreys and O’Brien announced major reforms to CE, Tús and Rural Social Scheme

Six Year Time Limit for RSS removed

Eligibility for Tús extended

Flexibility to allow Schemes recruit directly

New Pilot Scheme for Qualified Adults to be explored

Application process for Ex-Gratia Payment for CE Supervisors Opens
Read more here
https://lnkd.in/geUGeWb4
Recent policy submissions:
EU waste framework directive consultation
The Waste Framework Directive protects public health and the environment through the proper management of waste. This is done by applying the EU’s waste hierarchy, which promotes waste prevention and re-use over waste recovery and disposal.
This initiative will improve waste management by:
- reducing waste generation including through re-use of products or components
- reducing mixed waste and increasing preparation for re-use or recycling of waste by improving separate collection.
Public consultation is open until August 16th, and we will send draft feedback to members by mid July, with ample time to feedback before submitting.
CRNI policy and advocacy updates 27/05/2022
InsuranceThanks to all CRNI members who signed our letter to Minister Sean Fleming re: reducing reuse, repair and recycling premiums to enable a more circular economy.
You can view the letter here, and I’ll keep members updated re: outcomes.
Public ProcurementWe’re on the cusp of announcing a big in-person launch event for our upcoming Virtual Green Procurement Trade fair! This virtual trade fair will give all CRNI members the opportunity to host a virtual stall that shows off what you can offer to the public procurement sector. The aim of the project is to drive green public procurement and to place CRNI members front and centre of the revolution. I’ll be in touch very soon with more information on this, but the aim is to launch all of this in celebration of Reuse Month 2022 (October).
VAT for social enterprisesThrough our membership of
RREUSE, we are able to advocate on this issue at European level.
The latest Social Economy Action Plan position paper issued by RREUSE called on the EU Commission to ‘Provide guidance on taxation to Member States,
ensuring support for the activities of social enterprises in line with the newly amended EU VAT Directive’. We will continue to attend working groups on this matter and keep CRNI members informed of updates.
Public Consultation on the Textiles Transition PathwayWe will be responding to the above and will share the draft with CRNI members for feedback before submitting. Let us know if you’d like to work with us on this. The deadline is 15 June.
Sustainable Products Initiative: Feedback for Commission Adoption
We will be
providing feedback on the above and will share the draft with CRNI members for feedback before submitting. Let us know if you’d like to work with us on this.
The deadline is 22 June.
CRNI policy and advocacy updates 04/05/2022
We are continuing to push for complete insurance reform on behalf of CRNI members as members of the Alliance for Insurance Reform.
Please sign this letter for Minister Sean Fleming (either by inserting your digital signature or typing your name on page 3) by 10am Friday morning, May 6th, if you’d like to support this action:
Thank you in advance, and please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or queries you may have.
—
Best wishes,
Mary Fleming
National Executive
Community Resources Network Ireland
087 173 5184
CRNI policy and advocacy updates 21/03/2022
National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap
If you have feedback, please let us know by 5pm, this coming Wednesday, 23d March.
CRNI policy and advocacy updates 18/02/2022
Ireland
Insurance Premiums
Revised Social Enterprise Strategy for IrelandIreland is currently in the final year of the current Social Enterprise Strategy. CRNI will be actively seeking opportunities to feed in to the revised Social Enterprise Strategy with the Department of Rural and Community Development. Stay tuned!
Food Waste PreventionCRNI will be responding to the public consultation on Ireland’s
National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap. We will be circulating a draft submission for Member feedback in advance of submitting on 24th March.
Green Public ProcurementWe are continuing our work on advocating for
Green Public Procurement in 2022 and are hoping to have further updates re: our work in this area very soon. The EPA recently launched new resources four suppliers. Learn more
here and
here.
National Waste Management Plan for a Circular EconomyWe are inputting into ongoing co-ownership workshops for the National Waste Management Plan for a Circular Economy with the Waste Regions, representing the interests of Members across the reuse, repair and recycling space. We will run an update session for all CRNI Members on this topic later in 2022 – watch this space!
Europe

️
EU Social Economy Action Plan
VAT Reductions for the Social Economy
EU Waste Framework DirectiveWe’re continuing our work on developing a circular textiles system for Ireland.
Learn more about the project here. Article 11.1 of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) obliges Member States to set up separate collection for textiles from 1 January 2025. As such, the purpose and objectives of our Circular Textiles project are to:
- address key national challenges including informing the design of separate collection schemes for positive impact
- find expanded or new local capacity for managing the textiles collected
–.