New European Union Bioeconomy Strategy Promotes Sustainable Textile Industry

Introduced on 27 November 2025, the European Union's new Bioeconomy Strategy outlines a roadmap for a circular and low-carbon economy, utilizing both land and marine resources while providing alternatives to critical raw materials. In 2023, the EU bioeconomy was valued at 2.7 trillion ($3.1 trillion) and employed 17.1 million people, accounting for roughly 8% of the regions workforce. Each direct job in the bioeconomy creates an estimated three additional positions indirectly.

The strategy emphasizes scaling up innovation to transform research into practical solutions across agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, biomass processing, biomanufacturing, and biotechnology. It calls for increased investment from both public and private sectors in bio-based technologies and proposes establishing a Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group to generate investment-ready projects and attract private funding.

The European Commission has highlighted key markets with significant potential for bio-based materials, including plastics, fibers, textiles, chemicals, fertilizers, plant protection products, construction materials, biorefineries, and advanced fermentation technologies. A proposed Bio-based Europe Alliance aims to unite EU companies with the target of collectively purchasing 10 billion worth of bio-based solutions by 2030.

Sustainable biomass sourcing is a cornerstone of the strategy, emphasizing responsible management of forests, soils, water, and ecosystems. Programs will reward farmers and foresters who maintain soil health, enhance carbon sinks, and use biomass sustainably. Circularity is promoted through better utilization of agricultural residues, by-products, and organic waste.

The Global Standard organization, which manages the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), welcomed the strategys focus on textiles as a strategic market for sustainable biomaterials. Aleksandra Czajka, a global regulation specialist at Global Standard, noted that while bio-based textiles were first recognized in the 2018 update, the new framework explicitly positions organic natural fibers and textiles as assets for sustainable production and consumption.

Global Standard supports the strategys effort to improve assessment tools for comparing bio-based products. Current tools like the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulations (ESPR) do not fully account for challenges in expanded textile supply chains or increased use of fossil-based fibers.

The strategy also identifies biodiversity loss and microplastic pollution as ongoing risks due to insufficient regulation or the lack of alternative approaches. Czajka emphasized that the success of the textile-related aspects of the strategy depends on regulatory clarity, harmonized definitions of organic and bio-based textiles, and alignment with other legislation to prevent mislabeling and greenwashing.

The official launch event for the EU Bioeconomy Strategy is scheduled for 2 December in Copenhagen, coinciding with the Danish Presidency of the EU Councils Bioeconomy event.

Author: Sophia Brooks