The European Union (EU) has been working on its bioeconomy strategy since 2007, with the goal of transitioning to a more sustainable and competitive society. The strategy aims to promote food security, manage natural resources sustainably, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and mitigate climate change. The EU has made progress in research and innovation, but has also faced challenges in implementing concrete measures to support the transition. The sector is now considered a crucial part of the EU’s Green Deal and Clean Industrial Deal, with the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050. To achieve this, the EU must prioritize market development for bio-based solutions, as innovation is only the first step. The industry is calling for more legislative measures to support the growth of the bio-based industry and to overcome the challenges of cheap fossil-based imports. The EU bioeconomy strategy must be revised to include concrete measures to increase the uptake of bio-based materials in the plastics and chemicals sectors.
Closing the gap: transforming the bioeconomy vision into concrete policy action
