In Brussels on Monday 18 March, European Agriculture Ministers welcomed the inclusion of the bio-economy in the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objectives.
They held a new debate on this topic, which was considered a priority by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The Romanian Presidency has planned a conference on the subject to be held on 4 and 5 April in Bucharest, and is putting the bio-economy on the agenda of the informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers on 3 and 4 June.
The bio-economy encompasses all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources (animals, plants, micro-organisms and the biomass derived from them, including organic waste).
Good practice. Seven EU countries have adopted a bio-economy strategy, including Germany, France, Latvia and Austria.
Several delegations mentioned the activities of the 'BIOEAST' group, while others shared their experiences with existing strategies (national or regional), the role of clusters, research initiatives and cooperation between companies and research centres. A number of delegations mentioned energy-related products, such as biomass.
Instruments to be used. Several ministers welcomed the inclusion of the bio-economy as a specific future CAP objective and felt that rural development (pillar two of the CAP) was essential in order to unlock the potential of the bio-economy.
Some countries advocated better synergy with other policies, such as the circular economy. The COASTAL biogas initiative (Interreg South Baltic Programme) was also mentioned.
Poland stated that there could be long-term friction with food security, although there is still room for increasing bioethanol production, for example.
Finland referred to the importance of equity in the value chain. Lithuania stressed the need to encourage primary producers to be more active.
Horizon Europe. As part of the Horizon Europe programme (2021-2027), the European Commission has proposed increasing the budget for research on food, agriculture, rural development and the bio-economy to €10 billion. Some countries, including Hungary, felt that it was regrettable that agriculture ministers did not have a say in the distribution of the €10 billion. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)