Biosolutions: Strengthening Europe’s sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness

As Europe gears up for the forthcoming European Parliament elections, the European Biosolutions Coalition calls upon the EP candidates to make biosolutions a priority –  they are nature’s own tools to enhance Europe’s sustainability, resilience, and competitiveness.

This opinion has been provided by the European Biosolutions Coalition’s Governance Board*.

Biosolutions: Microscopic solutions with enormous impact

Biosolutions are products made from a fusion of biology and technology. Nature’s own tools, microorganisms, enzymes, bacteria cultures, and yeast are at the core of biosolutions, which, through i.e. precision fermentation and bio-refinement, can replace some of the existing fossil- and animal-based solutions in various sectors, contributing to reduced environmental and climate impact.

Using ancient techniques such as fermentation combined with cutting-edge innovation, many different biosolutions are currently being developed; bioplastics made from grass, waste being upcycled, proteins and textiles made from plants, milk and cheese made with microorganisms instead of by animals, biological plant protection – and much more.

With biosolutions we can thus transition from a fossil-based economy to a biobased economy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste, freeing up land, fostering biodiversity, and feeding a growing population. Moreover, it is estimated that up to 60% of the world’s raw materials could be created biologically[1]. We therefore believe that by promoting biosolutions, Europe can significantly decrease its reliance on fossil fuels and import of critical raw materials and hereby strengthen our strategic autonomy.

In the European Biosolutions Coalition, consisting of industry organisations from across Europe representing thousands of companies, and many working with biosolutions, we push for a top prioritization of biosolutions on the European agenda. But the biosolutions industry also needs all of you, ambitious candidates for the European Elections, to make this innovative industry a priority so it can continue to develop solutions to our common challenges and create new, green jobs in Europe. But we need to act now and we need to act fast.

The EU is lagging its global peers

In Europe, we are comparatively slower to act than the rest of the world, because we have a big, hindering paradox when it comes to biosolutions. Despite the EU’s significant investments in research and innovation, our lengthy approval procedures compel many European biosolutions companies to relocate abroad. For instance, approval time for biosolutions in the EU takes up to 3 times as long than in the US. As a result, the EU loses both tax revenue and access to innovative products of European origin that can help deliver on our green ambitions and enhance our competitiveness. We therefore need the new European Parliament to foster improved EU regulation of biosolutions.

An opportunity for change

The opportunity to change the status quo is here. On March 20, 2024, the European Commission presented its Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative, to address the regulatory and financial barriers for companies in the biosolutions industry. As part of this initiative, the Commission promised to launch a Biotech Act in 2025. We thus urge the European Election candidates to uphold this momentum and push for the establishment of a Green and Bio-Based paradigm in the EU. This entails fostering research and development, incentivizing investments in the scaling of biosolutions, and improving the regulatory framework on biosolutions in the EU.

A Green and Bio-Based Paradigm in Europe

To establish a Green and Bio-Based Paradigm in Europe, we call on candidates to the European Elections to advocate for:

1. Increased investment in research and innovation: For the EU to keep up with other economies, substantial investments in the development of new biosolutions are necessary.
2. Enhanced investment incentives for scaling: To accelerate getting biosolutions to market, investment incentives in scaling and infrastructure capacity must be improved. SMEs have particular difficulties financing infrastructure to scale their biosolutions and thus, Pilot Facilities are needed to enable the transition from R&D to market.
3. Fair EU classification: A recognition of biosolutions in the EU classification of economic activity (the so-called NACE codes) ensures that biosolutions investments are accurately classified as sustainable when appropriate, while also increasing the access to sustainable finance for biosolutions companies.
4. The use of a Risk-Benefit Approach: Biosolutions do not receive proportionate benefits for doing relatively less harm to the environment and human health than fossil-based products. A Risk-Benefit Approach to regulatory decisions, however, would ensure a balanced consideration of environmental and human health benefits alongside risks.
5. A European model of market access for biosolutions: We need a model which will secure the safety of bio-based products while avoiding the lengthy approval processes currently in place in the EU.
6. A fast-track approval framework: To accelerate the green transition, it is necessary to allow for faster approval of sustainable biosolutions within several areas. In this regard, we need to move away from a process-centric to a product-centric approach.

With so many biosolutions born in Europe, we have a great opportunity to lead the global transition towards a sustainable future. We therefore encourage candidates for the European Elections to pave the way for a Europe that thrives on innovation, preserves its natural heritage, and ensures the well-being of its citizens and the planet. We need biosolutions to not only be born in Europe, but also grow up here.

european-biosolutions-coalition-2024-manifest.pdf (eubiocoalition.eu)

*The members of the European Biosolutions Coalition’s Governance Board are:

Danish Industry, Denmark
The Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW), the Netherlands
Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), Austria
economiesuisse, Switzerland
Assobiotec, Italia
BIO Deutschland, Germany
Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK), Lithuania

Employers organisation Concordia, Romania

[1] McKinsey & Co (2020)