This dissertation was submitted for the Master in Sustainable Agriculture and Business at the
International Hellenic University. This thesis conducts a comparative analysis of Circular
Economy (CE) within the European Union (EU) and six Middle East and African (MENA)
countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Tunisia. In our quest for understanding, we traverse the EU's landscape, where a regulatory symphony orchestrated by the
European Green Deal sets the stage for a grand transformation towards sustainability. Here,
initiatives like the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) shape the path towards waste reduction, recycling, resilience, and the dawn of sustainable consumption and production. Yet,
across the horizon lies the MENA region, where CE strategies, still in their nascent stages,
navigate the rugged terrain of resource scarcity, environmental fragility, and economic uncertainty. Here, amidst the sands of pragmatism, the diverse policy framework of six countries
shows efforts in waste and water management, energy, and agriculture. Interpreting the existing CE policy frameworks in these regions we delve into a comparison in their focus areas,
highlighting how each region approaches circularity. As we journey through these contrasting
landscapes, we unearth not only the differences but also the shared aspirations for a greener
and a more resource efficient future. This study serves as a map for the current state of circularity in these two diverse regions and sets the background for further research and inspiration in the realm of circularity.
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