Brussels – In the race towards decarbonisation, the EU is (also) focusing on the bioeconomy, the use of biological resources from land and sea and their waste to produce goods, services, and energy. A system that by 2023 has already reached a value of EUR 2,700 billion and employs 17 million European citizens. “The bioeconomy is not science fiction, it is here all around us and, in fact, I am wearing it,” said European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, presenting a new strategy for a “competitive and sustainable” bioeconomy.
For the occasion, Roswall wore a dress made of wood fibres, and the press room of the Berlaymont Palace was transformed into an exhibition corner of organic products: a bathtub and a sofa, algae-based cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more. The use of renewable biological resources is indeed transversal: agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biomass processing, biomanufacturing, and biotechnologies. In all these sectors, the bioeconomy can replace fossil materials and products.
Chemicals made from algae are used to produce pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and industrial applications. Bio-based plastics are an option for packaging and automotive components. And bio-based construction productions, textile fibres, and fertilisers are also increasingly in demand. However, there is still “a huge untapped potential,” says the European Commission.
“This is all about growth, decarbonisation, and jobs in Europe,” Roswall insisted at the press conference. The strategy – which will be followed by several legislative proposals in the coming months – envisages first and foremost the creation of a coherent and simplified regulatory framework that rewards circular and sustainable business models: “faster, clearer, and simpler” authorisations for innovative solutions, so as not to hinder the development and growth of European start-ups. In parallel, the Commission will ensure that ‘existing and future’ funding is massively allocated to bio-based technologies, and will seek to stimulate private investment through the establishment of a dedicated bioeconomy investment group.
“To unlock investment and enable scale-up, the Commission identified innovative markets for bio-based materials and technologies. These include bio-based sectors, such as plastics, fibres, textiles, chemicals, fertilisers, plant protection products, construction materials, biorefineries, advanced fermentation and permanent storage of biogenic carbon, which have high potential for both economic growth and environmental benefits.” The idea in Brussels is to set binding targets for the use of bio-based products to boost demand. The strategy proposes establishing a Bio-based Europe Alliance to bring together EU companies to collectively purchase bio-based solutions worth 10 billion euros by 2030.
Then there is the question of sustainable biomass use. Bioenergy from agricultural, forestry, and waste raw materials is the leading renewable source in Europe, and accounts for more than half of the EU’s green energy consumption. But already last year, the European Environment Agency emphasised in a report the “urgent need” to decide on biomass management in Europe to achieve the environmental and climate objectives for 2030 and 2050. There are problems of biodiversity loss, ecosystem health, and a shortage of carbon sinks.
In the strategy outlined today, the European Commission stresses the “need for sourcing biomass responsibly, ensuring that forests, soils, water, and ecosystems are managed within their ecological limits.” And it promises initiatives “rewarding farmers and foresters who protect soils, enhance carbon sinks and support sustainable biomass use.”
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
