Today, the European Commission has adopted the "EU Competitive and Sustainable Bioeconomy Strategic Framework", aiming to chart a development path for a clean, competitive and resilient European economy. By leveraging renewable biological resources from both land and sea, and providing alternative solutions for key raw materials, the EU will further move towards a circular and decarbonized economy, reducing its reliance on fossil fuel imports.
The bioeconomy offers Europe opportunities to enhance resilience, replace fossil-based materials and products, create jobs, and lead the global transition to a clean industry. Through this new strategy, the EU will support activities in areas such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, aquaculture, biomass processing, bio-manufacturing, and biotechnology that utilize biological resources to provide sustainable and practical solutions. It will tap into the huge potential of these resources, outstanding research capabilities, and industrial foundations, and encourage innovations that benefit the climate, nature, and society.
In 2023, the value of the EU's bioeconomy reached 2.7 trillion euros, creating 17.1 million jobs (accounting for approximately 8% of the total employment in the EU). It has made significant contributions to job creation and economic growth in Europe. Each job in the bioeconomy sector can generate 3 indirect jobs in the EU. Representative products include bio-based chemicals made from algae (used for the production of medicines, personal care products, and industrial goods), bio-based plastics increasingly used in packaging and automotive components, as well as bio-based building materials, textile fibers, and fertilizers with growing demand. However, this sector still has vast untapped potential.
The EU's Bioeconomy Strategy aims to unlock this potential by expanding the scale of innovation and investment, fostering leading markets for bio-based materials and technologies, ensuring sustainable supply of biomass, and seizing global opportunities.
Promote the implementation and effectiveness of biobased innovations
To lead the biotechnology revolution, it is necessary to increase the scale of innovation and investment, and prevent research results from being confined to the laboratory. To expand the scale of biobased innovation, it is necessary to combine public and private sector investment and simplify the regulatory environment.
The European Commission will promote the establishment of a coordinated, unified, simplified and efficient regulatory framework, encourage circular and sustainable business models, while ensuring EU safety standards; accelerate the approval process for innovative solutions, clarify the approval standards, simplify the approval procedures, and support enterprises (especially small and medium-sized enterprises) to grow and thrive in Europe.
The committee will also ensure that existing and future EU funds are directed towards bio-based technologies, and to stimulate private investment, it proposes to establish a bioeconomy investment deployment group, creating a pool of financing projects, more efficient risk-sharing, and attracting private capital participation.
The leading market for the cultivation of bio-based materials and technologies
To unlock investment potential and facilitate scale expansion, the European Commission has identified the innovative market directions for bio-based materials and technologies, including bio-based plastics, fibers, textiles, chemicals, fertilizers, plant protection products, building materials, bio-refineries, advanced fermentation technologies, and permanent storage of bio-carbon. These areas have the potential for both economic growth and environmental benefits. The Commission will increase the demand for bio-based components in products, for instance, by setting targets through relevant legislation.
The strategy proposes the establishment of the "European Bio-based Alliance", bringing together EU enterprises, with the aim of jointly purchasing bio-based solutions worth 10 billion euros by 2030.
Ensure the sustainable utilization of biomass
While enhancing the current competitiveness, it is necessary to build future resilience. Europe has largely achieved self-sufficiency in biomass, but it is essential to ensure that this situation remains sustained.
Therefore, the EU's bioeconomy strategy emphasizes responsible acquisition of biomass, ensuring that the management of forests, soil, water resources and ecosystems complies with ecological limits; promoting recycling and enhancing the value of secondary biomass (such as agricultural waste, by-products and organic waste) is of crucial importance. The Commission will introduce relevant measures to reward farmers and forestry practitioners who protect the soil, enhance carbon sink capacity, and support the sustainable utilization of biomass. The Commission will launch a program to reward farmers and forestry workers to protect the soil, enhance carbon sinks and support the use of sustainable biomass.
Seize global opportunities
With its strong research foundation and innovative industries, Europe is expected to become the global leader in sustainable bio-based technologies, materials, products and expertise.
Through this strategy, the EU will support European industries to enter the global market. By ensuring partnerships that reduce vulnerabilities, it ensures that Europe does not rely on a single region or a single resource. In the current fragile geopolitical environment, resource security enhances the competitiveness and resilience of the EU.
Background information
The bioeconomy encompasses activities that utilize biological resources to create added value. It encompasses products, services, science, and technology that benefit various fields such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture. Through biomass processing, bio-manufacturing, and biotechnology, the bioeconomy supports food, health, energy, industry, and ecosystem services. The new "Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy Strategy Framework" is based on the 2012 "Bioeconomy Strategy" and the reviews in 2018 and 2022, and shifts its focus to industrial applications, market expansion, competitiveness, and resilience.
