FFIF Welcomes EU Member States’ call for the Commission to prioritise the Bioeconomy

Today, 16 EU Member States presented a joint statement calling for the sustainable bioeconomy to be placed at the core of the next European Commission's work program during the Agriculture and Fisheries Council Meeting. The For Forest group, including Finland, Sweden, Austria, and Slovenia, supported by Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Slovakia call for strengthened support for the forest-based bioeconomy noting its critical role for the EU to reach its climate targets, develop its open strategic autonomy and supporter of enhanced competitiveness, jobs and prosperity in the EU.

The Finnish Forest Industry is encouraged to read many of our policy asks have been included in the statement which outlines ten action points for the Commission to prioritise sustainable bioeconomy. Notably, we fully support the call for coherent policy development and an enabling regulatory framework which reconogises the substitution effect and promotion of biobased climate friendly renewable raw materials while securing the availability of sustainably produced biomass, as well as increased funding and inclusion of the circular bioeconomy in EU programmes and public private partnerships

During the meeting Sari Essayah, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, noted that the forest bioeconomy provides solutions for reducing critical dependences of the EU, enables the EU to achieve its climate and sustainability goals, while also generating innovation. To ensure more investment in bioeconomy in Europe, Essayah called for the EU to update its bioeconomy strategy and to integrate the bioeconomy in the EU industrial programme.

FFIF welcomes the Commission's response to the statement noting the Commission's commitment to begin discussions with stakeholders soon in order to review the EU bioeconomy strategy by the end of 2025 and to create a policy framework to facilitate the creation and integration of diverse bioeconomy-related value chains.

‍

‍