Motivations of European Union Members States to Adopt Circular Economy Strategies: Towards a Critical Geopolitical Approach

The regulatory action of the European Union (EU) and its Member States is critical to overcome market failures and to foster the innovation and entrepreneurship necessary to transition to a circular economy (CE). However, the motivations of EU Member States regarding the CE remain underresearched. This paper adopts a critical geopolitical approach to explore how EU Member States construct the need to transition to the CE and its motivations. To achieve this aim, the narratives within the national CE strategies in the EU were analysed through qualitative document analysis. As a result, six different drivers that motivate CE adoption were identified: (1) economic factors, (2) research and innovation factors, (3) resource supply factors, (4) environmental context, (5) social factors, and (6) political factors. These drivers affect EU Member States differently, creating a set of divergences within the EU regarding social equity or technological leadership.