The Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU has presented its vision for an EU bioeconomy at the intersection of strategic autonomy, competitiveness and sustainability — with a particular push for strengthening the role of primary producers in agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
The strategy was discussed among EU agriculture and fisheries ministers in Brussels this week, and while many expressed positive views, several also said issues including the complexity of current regulations, inadequate targeted funding and insufficient governance of investments continue to threaten the bioeconomy’s potential.
Cyprus has framed its push for agricultural and fisheries production to be more sustainable under the slogan “autonomy through competitiveness” — one of five overall priorities of its six-month presidency — seeing a competitive, sustainable and innovation-driven bioeconomy as a vital element of Europe’s strategic capacity. “Europe must act alone where necessary,” officials said, pointing to how external factors are making the region more vulnerable to shocks to its supply chains and trade, with climate change-driven events already one challenge.
Simplification, not proliferation
Ministers were largely positive about the update to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy for being ambitious and covering all aspects from sustainable biomass supply chains to bio-based materials and solutions for the blue economy, but several EU member states’ representatives made similar comments: when it comes to the European Commission’s implementation plans, they want to see simplification, not proliferation.
Delegations from Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria all asked the Commission not to add “new burdens”” in its plans regarding such issues as new cascading-use principles for biomass and new sustainability regulations for bio-based products.
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Representatives from Croatia, Latvia and Hungary also asked for the Commission to provide realistic guidance for primary producers. “If we want farmers, fishers and foresters to lead this transition, they need predictability, income security and a fair share of value,” they emphasized.
Enhancing producer representation
To rectify what it sees as an imbalance in the representation of interest groups in discussions that will shape policies based on the strategy, the Cyprus Presidency is recommending the inclusion of representatives of primary producers such as farmers and foresters in groups including the European Bioeconomy Regulators and Innovators Forum as well as the Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group.
This complements a goal of strengthening links between agricultural policy development and ground-level reality, with officials stating they believe that making farming, aquaculture and forestry more “attractive” to young people is key to successful bioeconomy development.
A specific task has been assigned to the Commission in this area: an impact assessment study of a permanent partnership (following the example of the BioEast Initiative) to boost research and innovation in bioeconomy-related projects in Central and Eastern European countries.
Blue bioeconomy and market readiness
The Commission announced the launch of a Blue Bioeconomy Innovation Initiative during this week’s Council session, with plans for innovation such as algae-based materials or aquaculture circular solutions to be made market-ready. Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius argued that the blue economy is still largely an untapped source of food and industrial materials with little environmental impact.
The Presidency has been advocating for a financing window for agricultural and fisheries bioeconomy projects in what will be the post-2028 Competitiveness Fund.
Representatives from Spain, Slovenia and Poland all suggested this approach during the Council meeting, arguing that existing instruments are too fragmented and too many projects would pose too great a risk for private investors.
Striking a food security balance
The emphasis on a balance between innovation and food security was echoed by several delegations at this week’s session. While most support the agenda outlined by the bioeconomy strategy of economic diversification and circularity, none were willing to see it implemented at the expense of agricultural production targets.
Delegations from Italy, France and Bulgaria stressed that “a balanced approach” should be taken that does not create negative impacts on food production or rural communities. “We must not allow bio-based packaging to come at the expense of food-producing land,” .
From embroidery to execution
Symbolically, the logo of the Cypriot Presidency references Lefkara embroidery — a traditional Cypriot craft — and Cypriot officials say they hope it evokes a sense of harmony or unity among EU members. In coming months, it will be seen how well that ideal survives becoming law.
Cyprus has committed to developing Council conclusions on the bioeconomy strategy by spring, as well as organized structures for dialogue between representatives of EU institutions. The Presidency has further asked the Commission to provide clarity on funding for the bioeconomy in the context of the ongoing negotiations on the bloc’s future financial framework.
So far, it seems that the country has received strong support from most major political blocs. The challenge ahead is to ensure its plans — from increasing primary producers’ representation to providing targeted funding — are integrated into legal frameworks in a way that does not make life even more challenging due to excessive regulations.
