Europe’s chemical industry is calling for mandatory biomass-derived content targets in products sold across the EU, arguing that stronger market signals are essential to unlock investment and accelerate the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.

 

The proposal from Cefic comes as the sector seeks to scale up biomass-derived products but faces a major hurdle: insufficient and unpredictable market demand.

 

Biomass-derived products include both bio-based and bio-attributed materials and can be wholly or partly produced from biomass. Cefic is advocating for product-level targets that would require a minimum share of biomass-derived content in products placed on the market.

 

Under the proposed framework, a single biomass-derived content target would be established for each product or product group, with both bio-based and bio-attributed inputs counted toward compliance. The industry group says this technology-neutral approach would encourage innovation while providing companies with the certainty needed to invest.

 

Cefic argues that clear content requirements would create the market pull necessary to bring new technologies and sustainable solutions to commercial scale.

 

The organisation’s policy recommendations include the introduction of mandatory product-level biomass-derived content targets to stimulate demand and drive investment, alongside financial incentives for emerging value chains that continue to face technological and economic barriers.

 

Among the measures proposed are VAT reductions for products containing a specified minimum share of circular content, helping improve the competitiveness of sustainable alternatives.

 

Cefic also stresses the need for a practical regulatory framework, with targets set at product or product-group level and designed to complement, rather than overlap with, existing recycled-content and carbon-capture policies.

 

To provide long-term investment certainty, the group is calling for a predictable regulatory roadmap featuring phased implementation and clear milestones.

 

Crucially, Cefic wants rapid deployment through existing EU legislation, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the forthcoming Biotech Act II, which it says can help harmonise definitions, close policy gaps and speed market adoption.

 

According to Cefic, combining mandatory biomass-derived content targets with supportive incentives and fast-track implementation could help Europe attract investment, expand its bioeconomy and strengthen industrial competitiveness and resilience.