Initiatives are to be developed to support foresters and farmers who take action to protect soils, promote carbon sequestration and encourage the sustainable use of biomass.
The European Commission has announced a new strategic framework for the development of a competitive and sustainable European Union bioeconomy, setting out a path towards a clean, competitive and resilient European economy. By using renewable biological resources from land and sea and providing alternatives to critical raw materials, the EU will move towards a circular economy and decarbonisation, and will also be able to reduce its dependence on imports of fossil resources. In the Commission's view, the bioeconomy offers Europe an opportunity to strengthen its resilience, replace fossil-based materials and products, create jobs and lead the global transition to "clean industries".
The new strategic framework for a competitive and sustainable EU bioeconomy builds on the 2012 bioeconomy strategy and the 2018 and 2022 reviews, focusing on industrial use, market expansion, competitiveness and resilience.
Under the new strategy, Europe will support activities that deliver sustainable, practical solutions using local biological resources in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biomass processing, biological production and biotechnology. It will harness the enormous potential of these resources, of scientific excellence and of the industrial base, and will foster innovation that benefits the climate, nature and society.
"The bioeconomy is the answer to the question of how to combine prosperity with environmental protection. It restores ecosystems while taking a leading position in the field of biotechnology. Our duty towards citizens is to build a competitive and thriving economy. The future is not one of fossil fuels. The future is living, circular and regenerative. The future is the bioeconomy," said Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.
A significant source of value and employment
Worth up to 2.7 trillion euros in 2023 and employing 17.1 million people – around 8% of jobs in the European Union – Europe's bioeconomy already contributes substantially to job creation and economic growth across all the bloc's countries.
Every job in the bioeconomy creates a further three indirect jobs in the European Union. Examples of products include biological chemicals produced from algae and used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial applications.
Bio-based plastics are increasingly used in packaging and car parts, and demand is growing for bio-based construction materials, textile fibres and fertilisers.
Even so, the bioeconomy still has enormous untapped potential. The aim of the European bioeconomy strategy is to unlock that potential by increasing innovation and investment, developing lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies, securing a sustainable supply of biomass and seizing global opportunities.
Delivering bio-based innovation
To lead the biotechnology revolution, innovation and investment must be scaled up so that research does not remain confined to the laboratory. Scaling up biological innovation requires public and private investment to be combined, as well as a simplified regulatory environment.
The European Commission will work to establish a coherent and simplified regulatory framework that supports the circular economy and sustainable business models, while ensuring that EU safety standards are met. Faster, clearer and simpler approval of innovative solutions will help businesses to develop and grow in Europe, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. The challenge is to ensure that these positive intentions do not become bogged down in bureaucratic labyrinths, as has happened so many times before.
Developing lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies
The Commission states that it will ensure existing and future European funding is channelled towards bio-based technologies. To stimulate private investment, the Commission proposes setting up a Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group to build a pipeline of bankable projects, share risk more effectively and attract private capital. In order to unlock investment and encourage scaling up, the Commission has identified innovative markets for bio-based materials and technologies. These include the development of bio-based manufacturing sectors: bioplastics, textiles, chemicals, fertilisers, plant protection products, construction materials, biorefining, advanced fermentation and permanent biogenic carbon (bioCO₂) storage, all of which have great potential in terms of both economic growth and environmental benefits. The use of wood-based materials and products must be substantially expanded – for example, making clothing from wood fibre – and the uptake of other wood-related innovations must be encouraged.
The Commission will stimulate demand for bio-based content in products, for instance by setting targets in the relevant legislation.
The strategy proposes creating a "Biobased Europe Alliance", bringing together European Union companies to jointly harness a procurement potential for bio-based solutions worth 10 billion euros in the period up to 2030.
Ensuring the sustainable use of biomass
"Green" methanol is produced from agricultural and forestry by-products or from renewable electricity and biogenic or atmospheric carbon dioxide. Europe is largely self-sufficient in biomass, and this situation must be maintained in the future as well. The European Union's Bioeconomy Strategy therefore stresses the need to source biomass responsibly, ensuring that forests, soil, water and ecosystems are managed within their ecological limits.
Promoting the circular economy and adding value to secondary biomass, such as agricultural by-products and organic waste, is of considerable importance. The Commission plans to develop initiatives to support farmers and foresters who take action to protect soils, promote carbon sequestration and encourage the sustainable use of biomass
Seizing global opportunities
With its strong research base and innovative industries, Europe remains well placed to become a global leader in sustainable biological technologies, materials, products and knowledge.
Through this strategy, the European Union will support European industry by giving it access to global markets, building partnerships that reduce volatility and ensuring that Europe is not dependent on a single region or a single resource. In the current unstable geopolitical situation, security of resources improves the European Union's competitiveness and resilience.
"The bioeconomy offers enormous potential to expand – from the products we use every day, to the homes we live in, to large industrial applications. This is a growth strategy that will increase our resilience and competitiveness, while ensuring that nature and healthy ecosystems remain the foundation of our economy. It will create jobs in the regions, replace fossil resources and protect the nature we all depend on. Our vision is clear: a future in which Europe builds on nature, innovation and circular economy solutions rooted in a competitive and sustainable bioeconomy," said Jessika Roswall, European Union Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy.