21 MAY 2025 10:00 weTHINK. online Waste CIircularity Event Legal perspectives and trends on national and European level for RDF/SRF, Alternative Raw Materials and End of Waste. Technical challenges and innovation/ best practices for Carbon Capture Abatement

Martin Schneider, VDZ Germany
Resource Road Map for the Circular Construction Industry Sector – Case Study in Germany
The VDZ study “Resources of the Future for Cement and Concrete” outlines a scenario for 2050 that anticipates a 41% reduction in the use of primary raw materials in Germany. Recycling materials from construction demolition materials will play a crucial role in this effort. Sustainable material flow management and political measures are necessary to promote the use of recycled materials. Resource conservation also has a positive impact on the reduction of CO₂ emissions.

Joseph Kitzweger, Holcim Austria
Status of Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage – An Austrian CO₂ Circular Project
A full-scale CCUS project at the Mannersdorf cement plant in Austria will be presented.
This project is a collaboration with key players in the CCUS value chain, including OMV, Verbund, and Borealis.

Eva Rosenberger, Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
The Austrian Circular Economy Strategy
The Austrian Circular Economy Strategy, adopted in 2022, forms the basis for implementing concrete measures toward a climate-neutral, resource-efficient, and sustainable circular economy by 2050. To support this transformation, a legal framework for funding was introduced in 2024.

The strategy focuses on projects that consider the entire product life cycle and promote the circulation of material flows. Following the initial funding calls in 2024, the 2025 program is already underway.

Lazar Radovanovic, Siemens Energy
Siemens Energy’s Industrial Steam Turbine Portfolio
This session will offer an overview of Siemens Energy’s Industrial Steam Turbine portfolio and the comprehensive solutions provided to various industries. As a global leader in energy technology, Siemens Energy delivers high-performance turbines along with tailored, value-driven energy solutions. The presentation aims to raise awareness of product capabilities and reinforce Siemens Energy’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Dr. Martin Eisenberger, LL.M, Hon. Prof., Montanuniversität Leoben
Legal Challenges in the Free Movement of Secondary Raw Materials
The European Union is intended to function as a common market with four fundamental freedoms—one being the free movement of goods. Accordingly, goods should move freely across member state borders.

However, in the case of waste—which qualifies as a commodity—this freedom is significantly limited by the Waste Shipment Ordinance and its restrictive interpretation by both EU member states and the European Commission, potentially contradicting the EU’s Primary Treaty.

To support a truly EU-wide circular economy—identified by the European Commission as a key priority—the limitations on the transport of secondary raw materials and their classification as waste must be critically reassessed.