The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on March 17, 2026, that it approved conclusions on the EU’s new bioeconomy strategy. As reported in our December 4, 2025, blog item, the European Commission (EC) announced on November 26, 2025, that it adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, “charting a way forward to build a clean, competitive and resilient European economy.” In its conclusions, the Council welcomes the strategy proposed by the EC...
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On March 10, 2026, EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, will hold a webinar on “Navigating Biotech SME Funding: What’s available, How it works, What’s next for Europe.” According to EuropaBio, Europe’s biotech sector “continues to face significant financing challenges, especially during growth and scale‑up.” As the European Union (EU) moves forward with the landmark Biotech Act, the webinar will explore the funding tools available today, how companies can access...
February 4, 2026
OECD Paper Compares Regulatory Environments for Biotechnology and Biosolutions between the EU and United States
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) posted a working paper on January 30, 2026, entitled A comparison of the innovation and regulatory environments for biotechnology and biosolutions across the European Union and the United States. According to the authors, the working paper “strengthens the evidence base for biotechnology policymaking by examining two critical dimensions: innovation-enabling conditions and regulatory practices.” Focusing on the European Union...
The European Commission (EC) announced on November 26, 2025, that it adopted a new Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy, “charting a way forward to build a clean, competitive and resilient European economy.” According to the EC, by using renewable biological resources and providing alternatives to critical raw materials, the European Union (EU) “will move forward towards a more circular and decarbonised economy and can decrease dependence on fossil...
The European Commission (EC) has published a report summarizing comments received during the public consultation for the initiative “Towards a circular, regenerative and competitive bioeconomy.” As reported in our April 1, 2025, blog item, according to the EC, the European Union (EU) Bioeconomy Strategy “marks a significant step forward in harnessing the opportunities of the bioeconomy to support European businesses and drive progress towards the EU’s environmental, climate and...
August 18, 2025
The Hidden Risk of Diminished Environmental Data: Could the United States Lose Its “Low-Risk” Status under the EUDR?
The European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), in force since January 1, 2024, mandates that “relevant commodities” linked to deforestation -- including cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, and wood -- must not enter the European Union (EU) market unless documented as deforestation-free. A central pillar of the EUDR is its Country Classification List, placing nations into low-risk, standard-risk, or high-risk categories based on governance quality, deforestation rates, and,...
August 6, 2025
Cefic Publishes Position Paper on EU Bioeconomy Strategy, Calls for Industrial Bioeconomy Strategy
On July 1, 2025, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) announced a new position paper and five-point action plan that will “help deliver a [European Union (EU)] Bioeconomy Strategy that supports the scale-up of bio-based chemistry, biomanufacturing, and achieve industrial transformation while adhering to planetary boundaries.” According to Cefic, the European Commission (EC) should mainstream revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy into all forthcoming legislations. The revision...
On June 11, 2025, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) published a position paper entitled Bridging the Governance Gap: Divergent EU Approaches to Nano and Advanced Materials that highlights industry challenges with divergent approaches to nano and advanced materials in the European Union (EU). NIA notes that the EU “is at a critical juncture in the approach that it takes towards nano and other advanced materials.” According to NIA, with the European Commission’s (EC)...
The Council of the European Union (EU) announced on June 12, 2025, that it reached a provisional agreement with the European Parliament (EP) on the “one substance, one assessment” (OSOA) legislative package, “which aims to streamline assessments of chemicals across relevant EU legislation, strengthen the knowledge base on chemicals, and ensure early detection and action on emerging chemical risks.” The package contains three proposals: a directive concerning the re-attribution of...
The European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on March 31, 2025, on the upcoming European Union (EU) Bioeconomy Strategy. The EC states in its March 31, 2025, press release that the Strategy “marks a significant step forward in harnessing the opportunities of the bioeconomy to support European businesses and drive progress towards the EU’s environmental, climate and competitiveness objectives.” According to the call for evidence, the Strategy’s main aims include: Ensuring the...