Commission Presents New Bioeconomy Strategy to Drive Green Growth, Competitiveness and Resilience across Europe

BioChemicals/Renewable Chemicals BioRefineries/Renewable Fuel Production European Union (EU)Feedstocks Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues Forestry/Wood/Residues/Waste Opinions Policy Sustainability

December 03, 2025

Print This Article Share it With Friends

(European Commission) Today (November 26, 2025), the Commission adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, charting a way forward to build 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 forward towards a more circular and decarbonised economy and can decrease dependence on fossil imports.

The bioeconomy offers Europe a chance to strengthen its resilience, replace fossil-based materials and products, create jobs and lead the global shift to clean industries. With this new Strategy, the EU will support activities that provide sustainable practical solutions using our biological resources in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biomass processing, biomanufacturing and biotechnologies. It will harness the vast potential of these resources, scientific excellence and industrial base, and encourages innovations that benefit the climate, nature and society.

With a value of up to €2.7 trillion in 2023 and employing 17.1 million people (around 8% of EU jobs), the EU bioeconomy already contributes significantly to job creation and economic growth in Europe. Every job in the bioeconomy creates three indirect jobs in the EU. Examples of products are bio-based chemicals made from algae that are used to produce pharmaceuticals, personal care products and industrial applications. Bio-based plastics are increasingly used in packaging and automotive parts. Also bio-based construction productions, textile fibres and fertilisers are increasingly in demand. However, it still has a huge untapped potential.

The EU Bioeconomy Strategy aims to unlock this potential by scaling up innovation and investments, developing lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies, ensuring a sustainable supply of biomass, and harnessing global opportunities.

Making bio-based innovations a reality on the ground

To lead the bio-tech revolution, innovation and investment need to be scaled up, so that research does not remain in the labs. Scaling up bio-based innovations requires a combination of public and private investments, as well as a streamlined regulatory environment.

The Commission will work to create a coherent and simplified regulatory framework that rewards circular and sustainable business models, while safeguarding EU safety standards. Faster, clearer and simpler approvals for innovative solutions will support companies to develop and grow in Europe, especially for SMEs.

The Commission will also ensure that existing and future EU funding goes into bio-based technologies. And to stimulate private investment, the Commission proposes to convene a Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group to create a pipeline of bankable projects, share risk more effectively, and crowd in private capital.

Developing lead markets for bio-based materials and technologies

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 Commission will boost demand for bio-based content in products, for example by setting targets in relevant legislation.

The Strategy proposes to set up a Bio-based Europe Alliance, which will be gathering EU companies to collectively purchase bio-based solutions worth €10 billion by 2030.

Securing a sustainable use of biomass

While boosting today's competitiveness we need to build tomorrow's resilience. Europe is largely self-sufficient in biomass, but we must make sure it stays that way.

The EU Bioeconomy Strategy therefore stresses the need for sourcing biomass responsibly, ensuring that forests, soils, water, and ecosystems are managed within their ecological limits. Promoting circularity and enhancing the value of secondary biomass – such as agricultural residues, by-products, and organic waste – is key. The Commission will set up initiatives rewarding farmers and foresters who protect soils, enhance carbon sinks and support sustainable biomass use.

Harnessing global opportunities

With its strong research base and innovative industries, Europe is well positioned to become a global leader in sustainable bio-based technologies, materials, products and expertise.

With this Strategy, the EU will support European industry in accessing global markets by securing partnerships that reduce vulnerability and ensuring that Europe is not dependent on a single region or a single resource. In the current fragile geopolitical climate, resource security enhances EU's competitiveness and resilience.

Background

The bioeconomy covers activities that use biological resources to create added value. It includes products, services, science and technologies benefitting a number of sectors ranging from agriculture and forestry to fisheries and aquaculture. Using biomass processing, biomanufacturing and biotechnologies, the bioeconomy supports food, health, energy, industry and ecosystem services.

The new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy builds on the 2012 Bioeconomy Strategy and the reviews carried out in 2018 and 2022, shifting the focus towards industrial deployment, market scale-up, competitiveness and resilience.

Quote(s)
Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition:
The bioeconomy holds the answer to combining prosperity with environmental protection. It restores ecosystems while leading on biotechnologies. It is our responsibility to citizens to build a competitive and thriving economy. The future is not fossil. The future is living, circular, and regenerative. The future is bioeconomy.

Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy:
The bioeconomy offers huge potential to scale up - 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, and at the same time ensure that nature and healthy ecosystems remain the backbone of our economy. It will create local jobs, replace fossil resources, and protect the nature we all rely on. Our vision is clear: a future where Europe runs on nature, innovation and circular solutions rooted in a competitive and sustainable bioeconomy.

For more information

Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy

Questions and Answers

Factsheet

Bioeconomy Strategy - Environment - European Commission

The facts about the bioeconomy - European Commission

5 things you need to know about the bioeconomy - Environment

The 2023 Council Conclusions

The European Parliament's resolution on the future of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing sector

The Committee of the Regions opinion on the bioeconomy

European Economic and Social Committee opinion on the bioeconomy

Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy

READ MORE

Related articles

A Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy (EU Food Safety Platform)
The EU Bioeconomy Strategy – growth at the expense of the biosphere (Environmental Paper Network)
EBB welcomes European Commission’s Bioeconomy Strategy (Biofuels International)
EU adopts new bioeconomy strategy (Biomass Magazine)

Excerpt from EU Food Safety Platform: Built on strong scientific and industrial foundations, Europe’s bioeconomy relies on primary and secondary biomass, by-products, residues and captured biogenic carbon, and supports rural and coastal communities through more circular production models. Food is a key component of the bioeconomy and is central to the EU’s Vision for Agriculture and Food, with bio-based innovation helping to make food systems more sustainable and resilient. READ MORE

Excerpt from Biofuels International: European Biodiesel Board policy director Domenico Mininni said: “It’s good to see the European Commission once again reaffirm that biofuels will continue to play a role in the decarbonisation of European transport. Overall, this is a very positive signal.”

And on first generation biodiesel. “The EBB notes policy makers should not leave behind first generation biodiesel.
“As was once again reaffirmed by a recent report from the nova-Institut, using first-generation agricultural biomass to produce bio-based energy and materials brings benefits for farmers, food security and biodiversity, in addition to its GHG reductions.”

And on Energy Union package for the decade ahead. “We applaud that the Commission takes a forward look, and hope that the package will bring coherence in EU biofuel policy, benefitting the resilience of the value chain that is delivering CO2 emission reduction for Europe.” READ MORE

Excerpt from Biomass Magazine: According to the commission, the framework will support activities that provide sustainable practical solutions using the EU’s biological resources in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biomass processing, biomanufacturing and biotechnologies. This includes initiatives aimed at scaling up innovation and investments, developing lead markets for biobased materials and technologies, ensuring a sustainable supply of biomass, and harnessing global opportunities.

One component of the framework focuses on biomass sustainability. According to the commission, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy “stresses the need for sourcing biomass responsibly, ensuring that forests, soils, water, and ecosystems are managed within their ecological limits.

“Promoting circularity and enhancing the value of secondary biomass – such as agricultural residues, by-products, and organic waste – is key,” the commission continued.

To support biomass sustainability, the commission said it will establish initiatives that reward farmers and foresters who protect soils, enhance carbon sinks and support sustainable biomass use. READ MORE