On 21 June 2025, the BIOMATTERS cluster – comprising six Horizon Europe projects (AMBIANCE, BIO-UPTAKE, GREEN-LOOP, NEW WAVE, VITAL, and Waste2BioComp) – submitted a joint contribution to the European Commission’s public consultation on the upcoming EU Bioeconomy Strategy. This consultation represents a crucial milestone in advancing bioeconomy to support European businesses and accelerate progress towards the EU’s environmental, climate, and competitiveness goals.
In its position paper, the cluster outlines the main barriers currently hindering the development and market uptake of bio-based materials, essential components of a sustainable and circular bioeconomy.
The most pressing issues identified include:
- Cost competitiveness: Bio-based materials are often more expensive than fossil-based alternatives due to limited availability, higher raw material and processing costs, and a lack of large-scale infrastructure.
- Limited access to finance: European SMEs in the bioeconomy sector face a significant funding gap when scaling from pilot to commercial stages. The cluster calls for targeted financial instruments and dedicated EU funds to de-risk investments in the sector.
- Regulatory fragmentation: Inconsistent standards, complex certification processes, and unclear end-of-life regulations hinder the market uptake of bio-based products across Member States.
To address these obstacles, BIOMATTERS proposes:
- Revising the EU waste framework to enable better collection and valorisation of bio-based plastics.
- Introducing tax incentives for sustainable production and procurement of certified bio-based products.
- Establishing harmonised certification systems and promoting regulatory sandboxes to accelerate market access for sustainable innovations.
The BIOMATTERS Cluster contribution underlines the need for a dedicated policy framework for bio-based chemicals and materials, aligned with the EU’s broader environmental, climate, and competitiveness objectives.
Through this joint effort, the Cluster reaffirms its commitment to shaping an inclusive and forward-looking EU Bioeconomy Strategy that supports innovation, strengthens European value chains, and drives the green transition.
⇒ Commission launches public consultation on upcoming EU Bioeconomy Strategy
⇒ Read the article with the updated version of the document