‍

SUMMARY:

• As of 18 March, the Council approved its conclusions on the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy, presented by the Commission in November 2025. The conclusions support the objective of developing a competitive, sustainable and resilient bioeconomy by 2040, based on renewable biological resources and reduced reliance on fossil-based materials. Members can find the press release here.
• The Council highlighted the importance of strengthening innovation and investment, and suggested textiles as a potential new lead market for the Bioeconomy Strategy.

‍

MORE INFORMATION:

In its conclusions, the Council welcomed the EU Bioeconomy Strategy as a timely and essential step to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and sustainability. The Council additionally stressed the need for effective implementation of existing EU legislation relevant to the bioeconomy, alongside regulatory simplification and faster approval procedures. It also encouraged Member States to align their national and regional strategies with the EU framework.

Particularly, the council expressed:

• A strong emphasis on fostering innovation, industrial deployment and investment;
• The need for scaling up key technologies such as biorefineries, advanced biomanufacturing and carbon capture, as well as improving access to finance;
• The urgency of creating predictable demand for sustainable bio-based products, identified as a key factor to unlock private investment.

Importantly, the Council stressed the importance of identifying and developing high-potential sectors ("lead markets") through tools such as green public procurement, voluntary industry initiatives and certification schemes. Encouragement for the expansion of lead markets into sectors additional to those highlighted in the strategy (namely bio-based plastics, chemicals, construction products and fertilisers), to additionally include paper, natural fibres, the blue bioeconomy and, most importantly, textiles.

Finally, the Council underlined the importance of ensuring a sustainable and sufficient biomass supply, calling for resource-efficient use of biomass across value chains, including the use of by-products, bio-waste and residues, while recognising the central role of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture.

‍

NEXT STEPS:

FESI will continue to monitor developments related to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and assess its potential implications for the sector.