From 21–26 June 2026, the CCICED Special Policy Study “Advancing High‑Quality Development through Circular Economy with Smart Digitalization” visited Sweden and the Netherlands. Co‑led by Ms Ilka Hirt (BMUKN) and Prof Hu Qing (Southern University of Science and Technology), the delegation engaged with organisations such as the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Reparell Innovation, United Repair Centre, Denim City/House of Denim, and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Discussions and site visits focused on eco‑design, Digital Product Passports and Extended Producer Responsibility, informing SPS recommendations for China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan.

In Stockholm, a high‑level meeting at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency explored Sweden’s circular strategy, the integration of chemical safety into circular policy, and the use of digital tools for monitoring, waste tracking and data‑driven governance, alongside international alignment on eco‑design and DPPs.

In Gothenburg, exchanges with Reparell Innovation and local experts highlighted data‑enabled approaches to transform hard‑to‑recycle plastics into industrial‑grade secondary raw materials and outlined municipal implementation of new textile waste regulations, as well as Sweden’s work on DPP standardisation and SME support.

In Amsterdam, the delegation visited the United Repair Centre to discuss repair‑at‑scale models and digital repair management, and Denim City/House of Denim to view eco‑design and cleaner production in practice, including how product data can enable value‑chain transparency and take‑back systems. Further exchanges featured Fairphone on modular, repairable electronics, long‑term software support and right‑to‑repair approaches, and Circle Economy on data‑driven circular metrics and city‑ and sector‑level transition pathways.

In The Hague, a policy dialogue with the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management addressed the Netherlands’ pathway to a circular economy by 2050, including EPR design and enforcement, producer registration and governance, eco‑modulated fees, and digital reporting, with sector insights from textiles and construction.

Across the programme, public authorities, research institutes and businesses demonstrated how eco‑design requirements, interoperable product information systems such as DPPs, and effective EPR frameworks are being operationalised through public‑private cooperation and municipal implementation. Insights from the tour will inform the SPS’s evidence base and support policy recommendations for China’s circular economy priorities under the 15th Five‑Year Plan.