EU Commission Proposes Sustainable Bioeconomy
16 February 2012
EU - New EU strategy intended to shift the European economy towards greater and more sustainable use of renewable resources has been welcomed by the industry.
With limited natural resources and a world population predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050, Europe needs renewable biological resources for food and feed, as well as for materials, energy and other products.
The European Commission's strategy and action plan, "Innovating for Sustainable Growth: a Bioeconomy for Europe", outlines a coherent, cross-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approach to the issue.
"Europe needs to make the transition to a post-petroleum economy. Greater use of renewable resources is no longer just an option, it is a necessity. We must drive the transition from a fossil-based to a bio-based society with research and innovation as the motor. This is good for our environment, our food and energy security, and for Europe's competitiveness for the future," said Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Máire Geoghegan-Quinn at the launch of the strategy.
European Bioplastics, the association of the bioplastics industry in Europe, welcomed the strategy describing it as a "good start" but called for "more specific actions to support bio-based industries in Europe."
"We support the EU in setting up a fundamental strategy to support the growth of the biobased industries in Europe. But we had hoped for more specific measures for bioplastics to be integrated into the strategy, like those developed by the EU Lead Market Advisory Group [which included the NNFCC] for biobased products," said European Bioplastics Chairman Andy Sweetman.
"The bioplastics industry is technologically well developed and can demonstrate a wide range of mature applications already today. What we need are strong measures to support the market development of bioplastics products," he added.
The goal of the strategy is a more innovative economy with lower emissions, reconciling demands for sustainable agriculture and fisheries, food security, and the sustainable use of renewable biological resources for industrial purposes, while ensuring biodiversity and environmental protection.
The plan therefore focuses on three key aspects: developing new technologies and processes for the bioeconomy; developing markets and competitiveness in bioeconomy sectors; and pushing policymakers and stakeholders to work more closely together.
The EU bioeconomy already has a turnover of nearly €2 trillion and employs more than 22 million people, nine per cent of total employment in the EU. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and pulp and paper production, as well as parts of chemical, biotechnological and energy industries.
The European Commission estimate that each euro invested in EU-funded bioeconomy research and innovation now will add €10 of value to the bioeconomy by 2025.
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