2.2. Rationale and Union added value

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture together with the bio-based industries are the major sectors underpinning the bioeconomy. The bioeconomy represents a large and growing market estimated to be worth over EUR 2 trillion, providing 20 million jobs and accounting for 9 % of total employment in the Union in 2009. Investments in research and innovation under this societal challenge will enable Europe to take leadership in the concerned markets and will play a role in achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiatives 'Innovation Union' and 'Resource-efficient Europe'. A fully functional European bioeconomy – encompassing the sustainable production of renewable resources from land, fisheries and aquaculture environments and their conversion into food, feed, fibre bio-based products and bioenergy as well as into the related public goods - will generate high Union added value. In parallel to the market-related function, the bioeconomy sustains also a wide range of public goods functions, biodiversity and ecosystem services. Managed in a sustainable manner, it can reduce the environmental footprint of primary production and the supply chain as a whole. It can increase their competitiveness, enhance Europe's self-reliance and provide jobs and business opportunities essential for rural and coastal development. The food security, sustainable agriculture and farming, aquatic production, forestry and overall bioeconomy – related challenges are of a European and global nature. Actions at Union level are essential to bring together clusters to achieve the necessary breadth and critical mass to complement efforts made by a single Member State or groups of Member States. A multi-actor approach will ensure the necessary cross-fertilising interactions between researchers, businesses, farmers/producers, advisors and end-users. The Union level is also necessary to ensure coherence in addressing this challenge across sectors and with strong links to relevant Union policies. Coordination of research and innovation at Union level will stimulate and help to accelerate the required changes across the Union. Research and innovation will interface with and support elaboration of a wide spectrum of Union policies and related targets, including the Common Agriculture Policy (in particular the Rural Development Policy, the Joint Programming Initiatives, including "Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change", "A Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life" and "Healthy and Productive Seas and Oceans") and the European Innovation Partnership 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability' and the European Innovation Partnership on Water, the Common Fisheries Policy, the Integrated Maritime Policy, the European Climate Change Programme, the Water Framework Directive Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1). , the Marine Strategy Framework Directive Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19). , the EU Forestry Action Plan, the Soil Thematic Strategy, the Union's 2020 Biodiversity Strategy, the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, the Union's innovation and industrial policies, external and development aid policies, plant health strategies, animal health and welfare strategies and regulatory frameworks to protect the environment, health and safety, to promote resource efficiency and climate action, and to reduce waste. A better integration of the full cycle from basic research to innovation into related Union policies will significantly improve their Union added value, provide leverage effects, increase societal relevance, provide healthy food products and help to further develop sustainable land, seas and oceans management and bioeconomy markets. For the purpose of supporting Union policies related to the bioeconomy and to facilitate governance and monitoring of research and innovation, socio-economic research and forward-looking activities will be performed in relation to the bioeconomy strategy, including development of indicators, data bases, models, foresight and forecast, and impact assessment of initiatives on the economy, society and the environment. Challenge-driven actions focusing on social, economic and environmental benefits and the modernisation of the bioeconomy associated sectors and markets shall be supported through multi-disciplinary research, driving innovation and leading to the development of new strategies, practices, sustainable products and processes. It shall also pursue a broad approach to innovation ranging from technological, non-technological, organisational, economic and social innovation to, for instance, ways for technology transfer, novel business models, branding and services. The potential of farmers and SMEs to contribute to innovation must be recognised. The approach to the bioeconomy shall take account of the importance of local knowledge and diversity.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-03 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.