New European Sustainability Rules: What Is Changing for Companies and for Romania
The simplification of the CSRD and ESRS standards, new rules on packaging, the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and preparations for a new Circular Economy Act are gradually reshaping the European sustainability framework. What do these changes mean for companies, and how will they translate into practice in Romania?
Europe is recalibrating its sustainability framework. The changes introduced over the past year are no longer focused only on reporting, but increasingly on how products are designed, how resources are used, and how business models are built.
In Episode #2 of the special series Sustainable Living Podcast | European Sustainable Development Week 2026, we speak with Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director for Circular Economy, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission, about the direction of European sustainability policy and what this transformation means, in practical terms, for Romania.
One of the central questions is whether Europe is lowering its sustainability ambitions or, rather, changing the way the European Union seeks to put them into practice, with greater attention to competitiveness, simplification, and the impact on the real economy.
From Reporting to Products, Resources and Business Models
The simplification of the CSRD and ESRS standards is only one part of this new context. At the same time, Europe is introducing new rules for products and packaging, continuing the implementation of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and preparing a new Circular Economy Act.
Together, these changes are gradually moving the conversation beyond reporting and compliance.
At the centre of this new phase are questions about how products are designed, how efficiently resources are used, how circularity is integrated into the economy, and how companies can build competitive business models in an economy undergoing transformation.
What Do These Changes Mean for Romania?
In our conversation with Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, we also look at the practical implications for companies in Romania.
Where are the biggest implementation challenges? How should responsibilities be shared between companies, central government and local authorities? And where do opportunities emerge for organisations that adapt more quickly to the circular economy?
The episode also explores the gap between regulation and implementation and the role of different actors in turning European objectives into real change.
We also look ahead to the coming years: what will be the next major shift in European sustainability and circular economy policy, and what will it mean for Romania?
Sustainable Living Podcast | ESDW 2026 Special Edition
Voices for Circular Change
The Sustainable Living Podcast special series dedicated to European Sustainable Development Week 2026 is supported by the Department for Sustainable Development within the Romanian Government.
Guest: Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea, Director for Circular Economy, Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Episode #2: New European Sustainability Rules
The episode is available on:
Website: https://www.sustainableliving.ro/
Youtube: https://youtu.be/upoL2P6JqrQ
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