The ECO4ALL COST Action CA22124 – EU Circular Economy Network for All: Consumer Protection through Reducing, Reusing, Repairing successfully organised its Third Training School, entitled “Circular Economy: Legal and Policy Perspectives for Supporting Transition”, from 10 to 13 June 2026 at the Faculty of Law, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). The four-day international programme was designed to strengthen the research and professional capacities of early-career researchers while promoting interdisciplinary cooperation on legal, policy and governance aspects of the circular economy.

The Training School brought together 31 participants, including 21 trainees and 9 trainers and organisers, representing 11 countries: Greece, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Lithuania, Croatia, Luxembourg, Georgia, Estonia and Türkiye. Throughout the four-day programme, participants engaged in an intensive combination of lectures, interactive workshops, collaborative group activities, practical case studies and networking sessions, creating a dynamic environment for knowledge exchange across disciplines and countries.

The programme was opened by Prof. Panayotis Glavinis, Dean of the Faculty of Law, together with Prof. Olesea Plotnic, Chair of the ECO4ALL COST Action, and Assoc. Prof. Dimitra Manou, WG4 Leader, who welcomed participants and highlighted the strategic importance of strengthening European cooperation in advancing the circular economy through research, education and policy dialogue.

During the four training days, participants benefited from lectures and mentoring provided by an international team of experts from the ECO4ALL network. The academic programme addressed a broad range of topics, including:

  • legal and policy frameworks supporting the circular economy transition;
  • strategic tools for implementing circular economy principles;
  • sustainability, transparency and ESG regulation;
  • consumer protection in the circular transition;
  • circular economy methodologies and research approaches;
  • resilient destinations and sustainable regional development;
  • interactive World Café sessions and collaborative group work;
  • practical case studies and stakeholder engagement;
  • study visits and mentoring activities supporting future research collaborations.

A distinctive feature of the Training School was its highly interactive format. Rather than relying solely on traditional lectures, participants worked in multidisciplinary groups, analysed real-life case studies, participated in collaborative workshops, exchanged national experiences and developed practical solutions to current circular economy challenges. The programme also included a stakeholder study visit, mentoring sessions and group presentations, enabling trainees to receive direct feedback from experienced researchers and practitioners. The final day concluded with participants’ presentations, a Q&A session, a series of short “Blitz Interviews”, and the official certificate award ceremony.

Beyond the academic programme, the Training School significantly contributed to the objectives of the ECO4ALL COST Action by strengthening international networking, fostering new interdisciplinary partnerships and encouraging future cooperation through COST grants, joint publications, Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs), conference participation and collaborative research proposals. The event provided an excellent platform for connecting early-career researchers with senior academics and experts from across Europe, further reinforcing the ECO4ALL community.

The Third Training School represents another important milestone in implementing the ECO4ALL Work and Budget Plan. Through capacity building, international cooperation and knowledge transfer, the Action continues to support the development of innovative legal and policy approaches that facilitate a fair, inclusive and consumer-centred transition towards a circular economy across Europe.

The ECO4ALL COST Action extends its sincere appreciation to the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, all trainers, mentors, organisers and participants for their outstanding contribution to the success of this four-day international Training School. Their commitment and active engagement once again demonstrated the strength of the ECO4ALL network and its shared ambition to advance excellence in circular economy research and education.

A short video summarising the event is available on the ECO4ALL YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Eco4allCostAction/videos