The European Commission has published a progress report that takes stock of the progress made in the implementation of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy from 2018, and identifies gaps for possible future EU bioeconomy action and initiatives.

The progress report recognises the Bioeconomy Strategy’s important role in achieving the EU Green Deal’s objectives, due to the cross-sectoral approach of bioeconomy policies. The report shows that the actions set out in the Bioeconomy Strategy are on track in achieving the objectives of the strategy, including:

• An increasing number of national and regional bioeconomy strategies;
• Progress on bioeconomy deployment in Central and Eastern European countries, and;
• Increased mobilisation of private investments, start-ups and research and innovation in food and other bio-based industries, which has resulted in promising developments.

However, the report also finds gaps in the implementation of the current Action Plan, which will require further action. These actions include an increased focus on how to better manage land and biomass demands to meet environment and economic requirements in a climate neutral Europe, as well as work on more sustainable consumption patterns to enhance environmental integrity.

If you are interested in learning more about the findings of the report, the Bioeconomy Working Group is organising a meeting dedicated to the progress report on 15 September 2022. Learn more about the WG meeting here.