Our vision is to give an example of fully sustainable and carbon neutral city of Lahti 2030. The strategy outlines on a general level the ways, in which Lahti will succeed in the future. The project focuses on one of the objectives set in the strategy "Sustainable vitality". This objective includes measurable targets of Lahti being carbon neutral in 2025 and increased investments in circular economy. However, this is the only mention of circular economy in the strategy. Circular economy is not currently a cross-cutting theme, nor is the system-level circularity addressed. Biobased circularity is not mentioned in the strategy.

By providing future city's circular economy roadmap, we aim to concretize the context and steps to proceed towards circular economy. We support the system-level change among central actors, and including the community and its citizens in the transition are central themes for the future.

The main vision defined by regional authorities within the Regional Innovation Strategy (RIS) is: "to improve the lives of the region's inhabitants and to become a competitive, economically prosperous and more attractive region for people by supporting and implementing innovation and the entire innovation ecosystem and its actors."

The RIS for Košice Region 2021-2030 (RIS Košice Region 2021+) is the main instrument introducing the innovations into socio-economic development. It has been identified as the most relevant for the purpose of the project aiming at implementation biobased circular economy solutions which are regarded still as very innovative on the regional and national level. RIS Košice Region 2021+ builds on the Strategy of Intelligent Specialization SK RIS3 2021+ as well as the Program of Economic Development and Social Development of the Košice Self-Governing Region and the Integrated Territorial Strategy of the region and further develops their vision and direction at the regional sector strategy. However, it is currently missing good practices. However, there are discussions and public statements emphasizing that innovation in the Košice Region should also be managed from a sustainability perspective. There is a consideration to hire a circular economy specialist responsible for "greening" the innovation process in the region. Additionally, project calls are expected to be more considerate of circular and green criteria.

As is the most important regional innovation backbone it is not only the core for other regional policy instruments, that defines more concrete actions to reach strategic goals outlined by RIS, like e.g. Regional Integrated Territorial Strategy or Program of Economic and Social Development, but also sets the priorities which are expected to be strongly supported by wide variety of national and international research and education projects. Recently, the Regional Innovation Center of the Košice Region received €8 million from the EU to build a circular hub and support SME owners and startups in becoming more circular. The center is primarily focused on implementing this policy instrument.

Gorenjska region is a territorial unit of NUTS 3, who regional development area includes 18 municipalities. Regional development program (RDP) is the main tool of balancing development goals of the region, addressing the topic of waste in priority. RDP is prepared at the level of the development region.

Regional development program's (RDP) main objective is to harmonize the development goals of the development region in the field of economic, social, educational, public health, spatial and environmental and cultural development in the region and to assess the instruments and resources for their implementation.

Green and CO2 free region Gorenjska in measure: protection of environment and protection of biodiversity, where Zero waste is addressed. Specifically, the topic of biobased circular economy or biowaste is not addressed.

2024 is crucial to work out new policy and actions such as the policy and actions on the valorisation of organic waste on a systemic level and according to circular principles or bio-based systemic change more generally, which have not been part of the current policy plan. This is because the progress of the implementation of the policy plan is monitored by the city management and board of mayor and eldermen and new elections take place in 2024 with a coming thereafter new policy agreement as the basis of the new policy plan for 2025-2030.

The policy plan is an integrated & strategic plan which contains all actions and budgets for a policy period of 6 years. The current policy plan is in place until 2025, preparations of the new one start by the end of 2024. This project can thus influence the new policy agreement of 2026-2031 which will be written in 2025.

The policy plan includes goals, actions and a balanced budget per year for the city and follows the Flemish policy and management cycle planning. This plan is hence the guideline for policy and actions of the city in a certain policy period. There is no other instrument than that which is binding (no actions that can be stipulated and budgeted outside this policy plan).

In the current plan nothing is formulated on the selective collection and use of organic waste or how to cope with biowaste. At the verge of the compulsory selective collection of organic waste, the city needs to investigate the most effective, sustainable and high end valorisation of biowaste

The vision of the Region of Central Macedonia for 2027 is a greener, low-carbon transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and resilient Europe by promoting clean and fair energy transition, green and blue investment, the circular economy, climate change mitigation and adaptation risk prevention and management, and sustainable urban mobility. This is clearly outlined in Policy Objective 2, of ROP 2021-2027.

The policy objective of RCM’s  Regional Operational Programme (ROP) 2021-2027 and its specific objectives aim at promoting the transition to a circular bioeconomy in the region. Also it is important to mention specific objective RSO2.6: Promoting the transition to a circular and resource efficient economy .

Research and innovation in Catalonia is below the average of the EU. It is necessary to improve the innovation and technology transfer infrastructures and develop the technological capabilities to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

The Operational Programme (OP) of the ERDF of Catalonia has a vision including solving 4 challenges. The sum allocated to solve the challenges is 840,5 million euros.

4 challenges are:

1) knowledge ecosystem and sustainable economic growth;

2) clean energy and sustainable and inclusive communities;

3) resilient ecosystems;

4) modern administration close to the citizenry.

Out of these four challenges, three have direct relationship with CITISYSTEM and can support biocircular transition projects. The 1st challenge, directly linked with the Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization in Catalonia (RIS3CAT 2030), aims to promote the improvement of the first-class scientific and technological endowments, with the aim of consolidating a competitive scientific system that will lead the deployment of disruptive technologies and strengthen innovation and its transfer to the productive field. The 2nd focuses on clean energy and sustainable and inclusive communities. In this case, the ERDF OP aims to achieve a society and an economy of low energy intensity and low carbon emissions, through the commitment to energy saving and efficiency technologies, with a low consumption of fossil hydrocarbons. The 3rd fights against climate change also related to biobased circularity.