Review of the regulatory jungle
Two-hour online workshops on the topic of "Regulatory barriers in the industrial bioeconomy" took place on 20 March and 3 April. The aim was to work with the participants to identify the challenges in the market launch and recycling of new products and to develop initial solutions.
After a brief welcome, Stefan Majer from the DBFZ presented an overview of typical regulatory hurdles in the bioeconomy. These include regulations such as REACH, the EU Waste Directive and requirements for food contact materials. The participants then gathered their experiences in an interactive brainstorming session using the online tool Miro and identified industry-specific barriers.
The intensive dialogue led to the following findings:
Main barriers: lack of security of supply of raw materials, lack of standardised production technology, unattractive market incentives (price, recycling) for bio-based products, end-of-waste properties vs. product properties,
Best practice examples: Building regional (co-operative) production chains, joint use of pilot plants, developing a stronger culture of innovation within the company and differentiating from synthetic products through better performance and properties
Solution approaches: clearer and uniform standards for bio-based products and recyclates, guidelines for practical procedures for the approval of recycling products, whitelist for approved recycling processes.
Outlook and next steps
The findings serve as a basis for the development of concrete recommendations for action to the BMWK. In the coming weeks, we will continue to analyse the results and reflect on them with relevant stakeholders. We are also planning follow-up events to address specific topics in greater depth and promote dialogue between all stakeholders;
We would like to thank all participants for their commitment and valuable contributions. Together, we can tackle the regulatory challenges in the bioeconomy and develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.