Newly-formed Bioeconomy Alliance Calls for EU Action
Newly-formed Bioeconomy Alliance Calls for EU Action
The European Bioeconomy Alliance (EBA) calls for more predictable policies leading to a long-term strategy for a competitive, dynamic and sustainable bioeconomy in Europe.
Feb. 4, 2015 - Creating a world-leading bioeconomy in the European Union requires bold political moves. On the occasion of its launch at the European Parliament on 4 February, the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EBA) calls for more predictable policies leading to a long-term strategy for a competitive, dynamic and sustainable bioeconomy in Europe.
Developing the bioeconomy is only feasible if the European Union provides a holistic, coherent and harmonised framework in a range of policy fields: agriculture, forestry, marine, industrial, climate, environment, energy, research, innovation and regional development. The EU needs to act on the following four main fronts in particular, in order to help Europe become a leader in the bioeconomy:
EBAs vision is to help establish a more competitive, innovative, energy-secure and sustainable Europe, separating economic growth from a reliance on imported fossil sources, resource depletion, and environmental impact. EBA fully supports both the European Commissions work on developing an EU bioeconomy as well as on-going efforts at member state and regional level to implement local strategies. In addition, EBA entirely supports the recent establishment of the European Parliament intergroup on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development and its subgroup on the bioeconomy.
Over the next decades, the bioeconomy will play an increasingly important role in boosting Europes economy by revitalising rural and coastal areas and disused industrialised sites while providing more growth and jobs. According to the European Commission, the European bioeconomy is worth nearly EUR 2 trillion and provides more than 22 million jobs to EU citizens.
The bioeconomy is not a niche sector; it encompasses the sustainable production of renewable resources and their conversion into food, feed, fibres, materials, chemicals and bioenergy through efficient and/or innovative technologies, which provides widespread economic, environmental and societal benefits.
Therefore, the EBA calls for the bioeconomy development to be set as a priority in the Commissions new EUR 315 billion investment plan as well as in national and regional measures, to help ensure Europes sustainable economic recovery.
Note: The EBA is an informal alliance of leading European organisations active in the bioeconomy. Its members are:
SOURCE: Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI)
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Newly-formed Bioeconomy Alliance Calls for EU Action