Traditional resources, new opportunities: What the EU should consider in their ambition to boost the bioeconomy

The European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR) is pleased to see that the Commission’s intentions to focus on competitiveness have led to the development of a new Bioeconomy Strategy 2025. As President Von der Leyen mentioned in 2023’s State of the Union speech, Europe is a continent of forests. Well-managed forests can supply Europe with the sustainable raw material needed to build a strong bioeconomy and the climate benefits and geopolitical autonomy that come with it.

State Forest Management Organisations (SFMOs), EUSTAFOR’s members, are highly motivated to  contribute to the development of the EU bioeconomy as the economic system of the 21st century – a driver of green growth, competitiveness and resilience. Together,  SFMOs manage around 30% of the EU’s forested area. This makes them not only the stewards of Europe’s natural areas, but also a major supplier of its renewable resources. With an annual supply of roughly 150 million m3 per year, the European state forests are the cornerstone of a thriving European bioeconomy.

In the debate following the publication of the Commission proposal for a new Bioeconomy Strategy, we recommend the policy makers to keep the following things in mind:

• Active management is needed to supply biomass, keep forests healthy and retain their role as carbon sink
•  Prioritize investments in innovation and scale-up the production.
• Keep in mind that forestry requires local business models. Invest in more biorefineries and do not over-regulate the use of biomass for energy production.
• When monitoring the biomass supply of EU member states, rely on already available national data.

EUSTAFOR and its members are looking forward to collaborating on this project with all its capacity and knowledge, to safeguard a robust, sustainable and competitive European economy.

You can read the full statement document HERE