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January 2026 available

December 2025 available

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on proposed methodologies for certifying carbon removals and soil emission reductions from carbon farming, specifically resulting from peatland restoration through rewetting, planting of trees, agroforestry and soil management of agricultural mineral soils, including improved fertiliser use. The consultation will be open until 19 February 2026.

The priorities of the Cyprus Presidency of the European Council reflect a commitment to fostering a competitive and sustainable primary production sector. The Presidency will also facilitate the adoption of Council Conclusions on the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy, focusing on bio-based innovations, green job creation and development. The objective is to combine circularity and sustainability with entrepreneurship, and to unlock investment for new bio-based solutions.

The 2026 edition of the Summit will take place on 20-21 October at the Convention Centre Dublin, Ireland. The Irish Government (Departments of Climate, Energy, and the Environment and Agriculture, Food, and the Marine) and the International Advisory Council of the Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) will jointly organise the summit.

This report, produced by Bio-based Industries Consortium in cooperation with Zero Waste Europe, argues that if the EU is serious about its food waste, climate, and circular economy goals, it must make those who profit from selling food take financial and operational responsibility for preventing food from becoming waste.

To reverse current challenges in the plastics recycling sector, urgent action is needed to facilitate recycling, the uptake of recycled materials and to promote innovation, including in recyclable bio-based plastics. The proposed measures are aligned with the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and are supported through research and innovation funding under Horizon Europe, which has financed the development of new bio-based plastics for different applications. Such innovation complements broader measures to strengthen circularity, competitiveness and resilience across the plastics value chain.

The plant breeding sector is undergoing a profound transformation driven by rapid scientific advances in biotechnology and related technologies. This transformation affects sectoral structures, business models, and production processes, opening opportunities for new players to enter the market, for new approaches to emerge, and for efficiency gains to be realised. The study extends its analysis beyond Intellectual Property Rights to examine market dynamics and the challenges that patents pose for different actors.

After two years of negotiations, the Council of the EU and the Parliament have reached a political agreement on the proposal concerning forest reproductive material (FRM), the seeds and seedlings used to establish new forests. The new rules will ensure the quality and availability of forest reproductive materials, which are crucial for conserving and restoring.

The European Commission has presented a package of measures to simplify environmental legislation in the areas of industrial emissions, circular economy, environmental assessments and geospatial data. The changes will contribute to reducing the administrative burden for businesses, while keeping the EU's ambitious objectives to protect the environment and human health. It will accelerate and streamline permitting processes for projects in strategic sectors, facilitating the transition to a clean and digital economy in the EU.

The CBE JU Info Day and networking event will take place in two complementary sessions: an online webinar on 12 March and an in-person networking event on 21 April in Brussels. These events will inform about the CBE JU 2026 call for project proposals and will offer on opportunity to connect with potential applicants.

The CBE JU 2025 call invited project proposals across 13 different topics, with the objective to scale up Europe’s bio-based sector, as well as develop new circular and sustainable solutions for the market. Out of 248 project proposals for this call, 24 of them have been selected for a total CBE JU funding of €172 million. The successful applicants and the CBE JU Programme Office will now start preparing the grant agreements to be signed by mid-May 2026.

The European Commission adopted the Horizon Europe Work Programme for 2026–2027, setting out the upcoming funding opportunities available under the Programme. Cluster 6 (Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment) allocates EUR 778 million to climate-relevant activities, including supporting climate mitigation and adaptation projects across land- and water-based sectors. It promotes sustainable agriculture and food system transformation, and fosters a circular, low-emission economy that protects ecosystems and strengthens resilience.

In this report, the United Nations Environment Programme explores the role of the bioeconomy in addressing climate change, with a particular focus on the bio-based technologies that are most relevant in this context. The report is intended as a resource for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders seeking to advance integrated, effective, and equitable climate and nature action.

This report summarises the main findings resulting from the assessment of the potential to enhance the circularity of bio-based waste in the EU. By mapping major bio-based waste streams, it identifies substantial untapped circularity potential. This includes over 58 Mt of food, garden and vegetable waste and 26 Mt of wood waste (wet weight), as well as 75 Mt of crop residues (dry weight), that could be used for new bio-based materials or other products, excluding bioenergy.

This article explores market sales data to investigate and compare current dietary trends in the EU Member States over 14 years, with a focus on their implications for environmental sustainability and health. The analysis of consumption trends of major food product categories, including animal-based and plant-based foods, reveals two distinct clusters of countries with diverging dietary patterns. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders aiming to promote the uptake of healthy and sustainable diets and informs the development of targeted strategies to support the transition towards more environmentally friendly and healthy food systems.

This outlook report presents the EU agricultural markets, income and environment medium-term prospects, relying on market intelligence available until the end of October 2025. It depicts a continued productivity growth, albeit at a slower rate amidst challenges from climate change and availability and affordability of inputs, while EU agriculture transforms towards more sustainable production systems. Structural changes in the EU farming sector are expected to continue shaping the economic and environmental performance of the sector.

The article examines biomass's role in European Green Deal policies through qualitative content analysis of 18 key documents. Findings reveal conflicting expectations: biomass must simultaneously support carbon capture, biodiversity, and economic growth. However, repeated biomass usage creates circular logic, challenging policy coherence. The study identifies latent social dimensions and quantifiable limits requiring integrated policy approaches for sustainable transition.