EUSTAFOR publishes position paper on the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy 2025

Since the Commission’s communication on a new EU Bioeconomy strategy on 31 March 2025, there have been many debates and developments surrounding the file:

• Simultaneously with the communication the Commission launched a Public Consultation on the new strategy. EUSTAFOR Office, with the input and feedback of its members, has prepared a questionnaire and in parallel has developed an accompanying position paper in response to said consultation.
• On 8 July, the Commission presented an Action Plan for the Chemical Industry to strengthen the competitive and modernisation of the sector. This plan ties together with the Bioeconomy Strategy 2025 as it explicitly mentions that biomass needs to replace a large part of the fossil-based resources in the production of chemicals.
• On 10 July, the European Parliament adopted its Report on the future of the EU biotechnology and biomanufacturing sector. The resolution stresses the strategic importance of biotechnology and biomanufacturing for EU competitiveness, sustainability, and strategic autonomy, the three pillars identified in the Dragi rapport. It also highlights the need to harmonise regulatory frameworks and improve access to finance and raw materials, particularly for SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups. Finally, the Resolution urges improved coordination of EU and national policies, strengthened supply chains and development of resilient infrastructure.

During a workshop on bioeconomy on 9 July, where EUSTAFOR was present by invitation of the organizing DG ENV, the discussion on the way forward for the European bioeconomy continued. It became evident that the opinions on this topic differ vastly and that their are still many misconceptions. This has urged EUSTAFOR to publish its position paper, based on the input that was given on the public consultation in June.

EUSTAFOR’s message to the policy makers can be summarised in the following points:

1. European state forests boost the bioeconomy by delivering sustainably harvested biomass. All EU state forests are subject to forest management plans and the majority is certified under one of the major certification systems.
2. Sustainable wood for state forests helps the mitigation of climate change through storage, substitution and sequestration of fossil carbon. To retain this mitigation effect, active management of the forests is required.
3. European forests create jobs and contribute significantly to the European economy. Investments in education and R&I are needed to keep the sector competitive.
4. Building a strong bioeconomy requires transparent and stable legislation. New and existing legislation needs to be carefully looked at to limit red tape and inconsistencies.
5. Sustainable biomass availability should not be compromised by overregulation of the market. The biomass gap should be addressed by good sylvicultural practises and improvement of recycling systems.
6. Alternative sources of income should not aim to replace timber harvesting, as that would undermine the already fragile economic viability of forest management. Investments should focus more on innovation of the wood value-chain.

EUSTAFOR supports the initiative to draft a new Bioeconomy Strategy, and that the importance of the role of forest organizations as primary producers is recognized by the Commission. Our main message is that active management of our forests is important to be able to deliver the biomass needed to transition to a biobased industry, as well as to keep our forests healthy and resilient. It is also the best option to fulfill many other important needs society has towards forestry like forest protection, facilitation of recreation and provision of ecosystem services. With smart management, the forests can contribute to EU competitiveness, economic autonomy and the EU’s climate targets.

Please refer to our policy paper for a more detailed explanation of our vision on bioeconomy and the role of state forests therein.