Circular economy at the heart of Europe’s new bioeconomy Strategy

On 27 November, the European Commission adopted a bold new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy Strategy. This document marks a turning point: for the first time, the EU’s bioeconomy is clearly positioned as a pillar of both industrial competitiveness and circular, regenerative growth.

By promoting the valorisation of secondary biomass - including agricultural residues, by-products and organic waste - the Strategy lays the groundwork for a true circular bioeconomy.

The new framework also recognises that circularity is not a niche add-on, but a core enabler of sustainable competitiveness. By steering bio-based sectors (plastics, chemicals, construction materials, textiles, fertilisers and advanced biomanufacturing) towards bio-based and circular materials, the EU can reduce dependence on fossil imports, support rural economies and create green jobs across value chains - from farm to factory.

Equally important: the Strategy pledges to streamline regulation, and to mobilise public and private investment in circular bio-based innovation. This includes establishing a dedicated investment deployment group and measures to make bio-based products - and circular business models - more competitive and bankable.

For the circular economy community, this Strategy represents a landmark moment. It helps break down historical barriers - regulatory, financial and market-related - that have held back circular bio-based solutions. It provides clear impetus to scale up recycling, reuse, upcycling and the high-value use of biological resources.

The future of Europe should not just be bio-based — it must be circular, regenerative and fair.

Read more:

• European Commission Press release
• ECESP Leadership Group position paper: Revising the EU Bioeconomy Strategy