Drawing on independent scientific analysis from the National Science Academies of EU Member States these reports represent an important contribution to the on-going discussion of the circular economy, including what the European Union should be measuring to ensure progress towards the circular economy and how to address the shortage of "critical materials" in the future.

In its report on critical materials, EASAC offers some potential approaches to analysing scarcity and identifying which elements are likely to be at risk of future scarcity. It also looks at the problem from two angles: that of how to increase the supply of critical materials and how to improve recycling rates for these materials.