Protection of ecosystem services as a function of the circular economy – considerations under environmental law
Zbigniew Bukowski
Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0814-4028
Abstract
The aim of this article is to analyse the relationship between the circular economy and the concept of ecosystem services within environmental law. The study adopts a functional perspective, focusing not on the declared normative objectives of regulation, but on the actual effects of circular economy instruments on the functioning of ecosystems. In particular, it examines whether the protection of ecosystem services can be regarded as a systemic function of the circular economy, despite the absence of explicit references to this concept in EU and national legislation. The article demonstrates that circular economy instruments, such as the waste hierarchy, extended producer responsibility, and eco-design requirements, indirectly contribute to the preservation of ecosystem services by reducing pressure on natural resources and decreasing pollution emissions. Consequently, the protection of ecosystem services may be understood as a secondary and systemic function of these regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, the concept of ecosystem services may serve as an interpretative criterion in the construction of circular economy provisions, thereby enhancing their systemic coherence. The article also formulates de lege ferenda conclusions regarding the need to more explicitly integrate ecosystem services into the design and assessment of circular economy instruments, particularly through the development of methods for evaluating their impact on ecosystem functioning.
Keywords:
environmental law, ecosystem services, circular economy, waste law.References
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Uniwersytet Kazimierza Wielkiego w Bydgoszczy
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0814-4028
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