EU Bioeconomy Strategy: What changes for Bio-based Materials

On 27 November 2025, the European Commission adopted the new EU Bioeconomy Strategy, updating the 2012 and 2018 versions with a far more operational approach: measurable targets, precise legislative deadlines, and dedicated financial instruments. For the construction sector, historically responsible for 35% of waste generated in the EU and between 5% and 12% of greenhouse gas emissions, this document is not merely a statement of principles. It is a roadmap with deadlines starting as early as 2026.

What does the strategy entail, how does it relate to the existing Construction Products Regulation, which bio-based materials are promoted, and what opportunities and obligations arise for companies in the sector? Completing the picture are the results of the European DigiFab project, which demonstrate in practice how these materials perform in real buildings and how to leverage the use of biomaterials in a new digitalised prefab construction chain. 

Why Bioeconomy Matters for Construction

The European bioeconomy strategy identifies construction as one of the five priority lead markets for the uptake of bio-based materials, alongside plastics, textiles, chemicals, and fertilizers. This is no coincidence. Construction consumes vast amounts of carbon-intensive materials, has long life cycles, and already has access to largely underutilized local secondary biomass supply chains.

The strategy estimates that the widespread adoption of bio-based materials in buildings could reduce embodied CO₂ emissions by up to 40% over the building life cycle. An objective directly linked to the Construction Transition Pathway toward climate neutrality by 2050.

The strategy is built on four key pillars:

• Scaling up bio-based innovations: accelerating the transfer of technologies from lab to market through dedicated financial tools such as the Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group and strengthened funding under Horizon Europe and the CBE JU programme.
• Developing lead markets: creating structured demand for bio-based materials in key sectors through the Bio-based Europe Alliance, with a target of €10 billion in collective procurement by 2030.
• Sustainable use of secondary biomass: valorizing agricultural, forestry, and marine residues for biorefineries and circular processes, reducing pressure on primary resources.
• Internationalization and resilience: strengthening European supply chains, reducing dependence on fossil-based material imports, and building global partnerships for bio-based markets.

The New CPR 2024/3110: What Changes from January 2026

While the Bioeconomy Strategy sets the political direction, the concrete regulatory framework for the sector is already defined. Regulation (EU) 2024/3110—the revised Construction Products Regulation—entered into force on 7 January 2025 and has been fully applicable since 8 January 2026.

The most significant innovation for bio-based materials is the introduction of mandatory environmental requirements in the Declarations of Performance (DoP). Each product must now declare:

• the percentage of bio-based or recycled content, verified according to EN 16785 or ISO 16620 standards;
• the Global Warming Potential (GWP) calculated over the entire life cycle;
• durability, recyclability, and reuse potential;
• all data required for the Digital Product Passport (DPP), mandatory from 2026 for full life-cycle traceability.

Verification is carried out through the new “3+ methods” assigned to notified bodies. This method is an update of the AVCP procedure that now explicitly includes environmental performance.

For producers of biomaterials such as hempcrete, wood fibre insulation, or mycelium panels, the new CPR represents both a more complex certification requirement and an opportunity to differentiate from conventional materials.

Among bio-based materials already CPR-certified or in the certification process:

• glued laminated timber and cross-laminated timber panels (EN 338, EN 13986) with 100% bio-based content;
• hempcrete (hemp and lime), with over 90% bio-based content and CE marking already obtained in France and Italy;
• wood fiber and cellulose insulation (e.g., Gutex, Steico), certified for thermal performance (EN 13171);
• expanded cork, fire-resistant and hygroscopically neutral.

Financial Instruments: Where to Find Resources

One of the strengths of the 2025 Strategy compared to previous versions is the availability of concrete financial tools. For construction companies investing in bio-based materials, the landscape is complex but accessible:

• CBE JU (Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking): expanded budget through Horizon Europe and InvestEU, with a 1:4 public-private leverage mechanism, supporting demonstration and deployment.
• Bioeconomy Investment Deployment Group: a new tool to attract private capital toward biorefineries and biomaterials, with priority for innovative SMEs.
• Bio-based Europe Alliance: partnership aiming at €10 billion in collective procurement by 2030, with public buildings as a priority category.
• Green Public Procurement (GPP): from 2026, mandatory bio-based purchasing criteria for public administrations, with tenders oriented toward SMEs.

Key deadlines