WRITTEN QUESTION E-1761/03

by Jan Mulder (ELDR) to the Commission

(27 May 2003)

Subject: Industrial biotechnology

In various resolutions in recent years, the European Parliament has urged the Commission to promote the use of agricultural products as raw materials for industrial products. The industrial biotechnology sector is developing in precisely that direction. The edition of The Economist dated 29 March 2003 includes an overview of those technologies. It is striking to note that, while the United States is taking a very positive stance on the development of these technologies, the same cannot, unfortunately, be said of the EU.

1. Does the Commission take the view that the use of agricultural raw materials for industrial purposes must indeed be promoted in the interests of the environment?

2. Is the Commission prepared, as part of the Lisbon Strategy, to promote the development of these technologies under the Sixth Programme of Research?

3. Is the Commission prepared to devise legislation so that, in the interests of the environment, the use is made compulsory of vegetable-based lubricating oils in environmentally sensitive areas and of organically produced plastics and fibres in general?

4. What other measures is the Commission envisaging with a view to stimulating industrial biotechnology? Is it intending to discuss the issue with all those involved with a view to tackling these technological arrears in a dynamic fashion?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(14 July 2003)

1. The Commission would agree that such uses can indeed be in the interests of the environment. It should be underlined that since the beginning of the 90's bio- and raw- materials have already been considered within the framework of the European efforts in industrial research. Furthermore, since the beginning of the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) in Summer 2000 the Commission had recognised the potentially valuable contribution that bio-based industrial products can make to the environment. Accordingly one of the stakeholder working groups established under the ECCP was exclusively dealing with renewable raw materials (RRM) for industrial products (except energy). As part of the Commission's general report from June 2001 on the results of the ECCP (http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/eccpreport.htm) the RRM working group published specific results on the amount of green house gases that could be saved assuming a realistic take-up of these technologies in assorted industries. Although so called direct annual green house gas emission savings could amount to a modest 8 million tonnes (CO2 equivalent.) by 2010, indirect savings that could be made due to the improvement of product performances could be substantially higher. The RRM working group identified further environmental but also economic and social benefits that could be expected from an enlargement of that sector and listed a number of policy measures that would be needed in order to achieve this.

After the conclusion of the first phase of the ECCP in June 2001, the Commission Services continued the work of this stakeholder working group, with the aim to identify the obstacles for the further promotion of these technologies and of the industry using it and to find solutions of how to overcome them. Together with the co-operation of the European Renewable Resources and Material Association (ERRMA) an internal report was finalised on the Current Situation and Future Prospects of Union Industry Using Renewable Materials. Among others, that report contained a detailed list of further actions that would need to be undertaken in the future and the RRM working group is currently in the process of addressing them. (http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/environment/reports_studies/reports_studies.htm)

On 6 June 2002 the Council of Industry Ministers in its conclusions on the contribution of enterprise policy to sustainable development, called on Member States and the Commission, each within its own field of responsibility, to further work on the contribution of enterprise policy to sustainable development, notably to further encourage the use of renewable raw materials in manufacturing industry, building on the results of current work of the Commission.

2. As part of the Lisbon Strategy, the Commission is keen to promote the development of these technologies under the Union's Strategy and Action Plan for the Life Sciences and Biotechnology. This includes making financial support available under the Sixth Framework Programme (6th FP) as well as numerous other actions to facilitate development of these technologies in Europe. The successive Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (RTD) have supported research in this area. During the period 1993-2002, bio-based product research (excluding bio-energy and forest industry) has received a total Union investment of nearly EUR 190 million on 173 projects involving over 1000 partners of which 40 % were from industry, mostly SMEs. Details can be found on the Bio-Mat web site: http://www.nf-2000.org/home.html and http://www.biomatnet.org. Moreover, support continues under the 6th FP and tenders for project funding can be placed under Priority 3: Nano-technology and nano-sciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials, new production processes and devices. The use of biological raw materials and biological processes in industry, as opposed to minerals and chemical processes, can provide benefits, such as reductions in resource use, less toxic waste or less energy consumption, and can be profitable for companies. This concept, now known as White Biotechnology, is being promoted as a policy priority also by organisations such as the OECD (with Community support).

3. At this stage of the activities the focus of the RRM working group is on actual measures that are directly effective to further promoting the industry. Against this background use is first and foremost made of what exists already. Examples are the development of an Union Eco-label for bio-lubricants or the addressing of specific RRM requirements in the amending of other policies and measures such as the packaging and waste legislation. Furthermore, the working group explores ways and means on how to set up an Union wide information platform on and for RRM industry and on how best to guarantee that for instance RRM based polymers would comply with certain standards on bio-degradability. As far as energy use of renewable raw materials is concerned it is worth mentioning that the recently approved Directive on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport (2003/30/EC) calls for a 5,75 % increase of the share of biofuels in transport fuel by 2010. In the very long run, as fossil resources become increasingly scarce, the use of renewable raw materials can be expected to become more commercially viable.

4. The Commission is seeking to stimulate the development of industrial technologies through the Union's Strategy and Action Plan for the Life Sciences and Biotechnology. This recognises the interdependence between industrial biotechnology and other sets of applications (medical, agricultural, environmental as well as of platform technologies such as bio-informatics). Although a few of the actions in the 30-point action plan are specific to problems faced by other sets of applications, most should be effective in stimulating the development and use of industrial biotechnology and tackling the problems that it faces. The Union's Strategy and Action Plan is highly dynamic, promoting actions not only by the Commission but also by a wide variety of authorities and other organisations at different levels of decision-making.