On Thursday 11 May in Strasbourg, the European Parliament welcomed the objective of “developing markets for food and non-food algae applications and making them accessible to the general public”.
85,000 additional jobs could be created in the EU if the expected increase in algae production occurs (see EUROPE 13100/23).
In adopting a resolution on the European algae sector, MEPs point out that algae could also be used in animal feed and fish feed, pharmaceuticals, packaging, cosmetics and biofuels. The European Parliament emphasises the need for the industry to develop without damaging the balance of marine ecosystems or repeating the environmental mistakes made on land in the past.
The growth of its algae sector would have many benefits (new materials, low-carbon food products, carbon sequestration, etc.).
Furthermore, algae and microalgae can be an important complementary source of protein in the context of sustainable food production and global food security. The European Parliament welcomes the actions envisaged by the European Commission to develop standards for different kinds of algae products and the proposal to fund pilot projects for fishers who wish to start growing macro-algae. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)