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
 
Thanks again 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. Minister Fleming responded with the letter attached.
 
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!
 
✅ Jul 18, 2022 11:00 AM Register here
✅ Jul 19, 2022 04:00 PM Register here
✅ Jul 20, 2022 09:30 AM Register here
✅ Jul 21, 2022 02:00 PM Register here
 
 
 
💰VAT for social enterprises
 
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 are awaiting further instruction from RREUSE, but are keen to discuss potential next steps on the amended Directive with Members. We will add this topic to the agenda for our in-person regional meetings in August.
 
 
 
😍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
 
 
 
 
 
 

🗳 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

 
 
💩Insurance
Thanks 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 Procurement
We’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 enterprises
Through 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 Pathway
We 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

 
We have drafted a response to the public consultation on Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, read it here.
 
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

We are working as an active member of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, with the aim of concentrating the Government’s mind on resolving the issue of increasing insurance premiums for CRNI members. Join us for a Zoom meeting with Peter of the Alliance for Insurance Reform on March 8th.
 
 
🔨Revised Social Enterprise Strategy for Ireland
Ireland 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 Prevention
CRNI will be responding to the public consultation on Ireland’s National Food Waste Prevention RoadmapWe will be circulating a draft submission for Member feedback in advance of  submitting on 24th March.
 
 
🥇Green Public Procurement
We 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 Economy
We 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
CRNI are on the Working group for ‘Transition Pathways for the Social Economy Action Plan’ with RREUSE. We will send the response to the consultation to all Members once RREUSE confirms it, click here to learn more.
 
 
🎯 VAT Reductions for the Social Economy
CRNI are also working with the RREUSE Network on the implementation of reduced VAT rates for the social economy. If you would like to feed into this, please let us know if you’re currently availing of any VAT reductions or exemption ASAP!
 
 
👗EU Waste Framework Directive
We’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
 

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Our funders

EPA Circular Economy Programme

CRNI supports its members and works to mainstream reuse thanks to core funding provided by the EPA under the Circular Economy Programme.

For more information about the programme see here.

Project Funding

ReMark Quality Mark

CRNI received funding from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications through the Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme to carry our the next phase of the ReMark project. 

For more information about the project see here.

Circular Textiles

CRNI is leading an EPA Green Enterprise project Circular Textiles, which will test the impact of three different separate collection systems for textiles and explore how we could manage the additional quantity of textiles that are collected. This project will be concluded in 2022.

For more information about the project see here.