Overview
The bioeconomy encompasses the production of biomass, its conversion into food, materials, and products, as well as the generation of bioenergy.
It is essential for the EU to reach its climate and energy goals by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050, while combating biodiversity loss and pollution.
The Strategy for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy aims to capitalise on the biotechnology revolution and follows the 2012 and 2018 strategies, which achieved significant progress in research and innovation.
The bioeconomy has the potential to advance the EU’s environmental goals and develop a circular economy without damaging nature.
This strategy for economic growth aligns with the Competitiveness Compass, Clean Industrial Deal, and Vision for Agriculture and Food.
Objectives
The Strategy for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy aims to boost innovation and support European companies in making a success of the green transition. Circular and sustainable production, and consumption of biological resources for materials and services, can increase efficiency and reduce pressure on resources.
The strategy will help make EU businesses more competitive and increase green jobs – without damaging nature. It will be aimed at European farmers, foresters, industry and businesses, particularly SMEs and startups in rural and coastal areas.
The main goals of the strategy are:
- Ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the EU bioeconomy and investment security. Identifying measures to scale up and commercialise existing and emerging biotech solutions and bio-based products.
- Increasing resource-efficient and circular use of biological resources. Transforming the use and valuation of biomass resources, prioritizing extended high-value applications while encouraging industries and consumers to embrace circular practices.
- Securing the competitive and sustainable supply of biomass, both domestically and from outside EU. Strengthening the role of primary producers, generating wealth in rural areas by creating jobs and diversifying incomes for foresters and farmers and rewarding them for the preservation of ecosystems.
- Positioning the EU in the rapidly expanding international market for bio-based materials, biomanufacturing, biochemicals, and agri-food and biotech sectors. This will be done, in particular, by steering existing foreign policy mechanisms.
Actions
The Strategy for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy was published on 27 November 2025. More information is available here, along with a Q&A and factsheet.
The Strategy is based on insights from a public consultation, a high-level Dialogue with Commissioner Roswall, and several targeted stakeholder workshops.
Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group seeks to expand its membership
The European Commission, together with the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), recently launched the Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group (BIDG) to help mobilise investments in the sector. To ensure a broad and representative participation from the investment community, national promotional and commercial banks are invited to join this initiative and contribute their expertise to advancing investment in Europe's bioeconomy.
Expressions of interest should be submitted by 11 September to Deployment [dot] Group
cbe [dot] europa [dot] eu (Deployment[dot]Group[at]cbe[dot]europa[dot]eu), with a copy to ENV-BIOECONOMY-STRATEGYec [dot] europa [dot] eu (ENV-BIOECONOMY-STRATEGY[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).
Further information is available on the CBE JU website.
Bio-based Europe Alliance
The Bio-based Europe Alliance (BEA) was announced in the Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy (COM(2025) 960), which aims to accelerate the transition from fossil-based to bio-based materials and products.
The Alliance is a voluntary initiative that serves as a collaborative framework for stakeholders across the bio-based value chain, connecting primary producers and suppliers with European buyers. It will also foster close ties with national and regional authorities.
The initiative will contribute to building the reliable and predictable demand needed to unlock the bioeconomy's full market potential, simultaneously helping to mobilise purchase agreements for bio-based materials and products in the coming years.
With more than 100 stakeholders already joining the Alliance, the European Commission will officially launch the BEA at the Global Bioeconomy Summit in Dublin on the 21st of October.
Following the launch, the Commission will co-create the Alliance’s work programme and key operational details alongside its participating members to ensure a practical, results-driven approach tailored to the needs of the bio-based industry.
Watch the video below to see how the bioeconomy works.
Monitoring
The Commission will continue to monitor the bioeconomy’s development through the EU Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy and the Bioeconomy Monitoring System. It will further improve these systems.
The progress of the measures proposed will be continuously monitored, and the Commission will assess their implementation four to six years after the adoption of the strategy.
You can also read a Joint Research Centre brief that focuses on the economic value of the bioeconomy, including employment and innovation.
Success stories
Two EU-funded projects are leading the way in lowering plastic waste, increasing circularity and showing that bio-based products are the future.
A company called 3R-BioPhosphate Ltd. is pioneering a new approach to resource utilisation by developing and deploying industrial-scale solutions to upcycle unused biomass.
Coffee!Up, a Czech-based circular innovation platform, transforms this overlooked waste stream into a valuable resource through cascade recycling.
- 26 November 2026Member States' bioeconomy dialogue
- 25 November 2026Technical Assistance and Information Exchange (TAIEX) meeting
- 21 October 2026Second plenary of European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group (Global Bioeconomy Summit)
- 20-21 October 2026Commission to launch European Bio-based Alliance at Global Bioeconomy Summit in Ireland
- 10 June 2026Establishment of European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group (BIDG)
- 22 April 2026First scoping meeting of European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group
Contact
For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.
Latest news
Three complementary initiatives will be launched, including the Bio-based Europe Alliance to support scaling up the bioeconomy sector.
Companies, professionals, experts, academics and citizens can share their views on how to address the main challenges and bottlenecks.
The Commission is looking for experts to join the European Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group, a new platform designed to accelerate funding for sustainable, bio-based innovation.