C 228/128
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
29.6.2023
2.
General comments 2.1.
On 15 November 2022, the European Commission published its proposal Towards a Strong and Sustainable EU Algae Sector (1).
The communication proposes the development of new and sustainable ways of feeding and supplying with sustainable energy the world’s rapidly growing population.
The communication emphasises that in order to ensure the security of supply of raw materials and energy, we must use the potential of algae as a renewable resource in Europe. 2.2.
The Commission’s communication is logical and forms part of a series of documents which have recognised the significant economic potential and environmental and social benefits of large-scale microalgae and macroalgae cultivation in the EU.
It identifies 23 actions aimed at improving the governance framework and legislation, improving the business environment in relation to algae, increasing public awareness and consumer acceptance of algae and algae-based products, and closing knowledge, research and technological gaps. 2.3.
European policies — the European Green Deal (2), the Farm to Fork Strategy (3) — have stressed the potential of farmed (marine) algae and other algal-based products as a low-carbon source of proteins used in food and feed.
The communication Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030 (4) highlights the need to promote the cultivation of algae — both macroalgae (marine algae) and microalgae — in order to help achieve several of the European Green Deal objectives.
In its communication on Sustainable Carbon Cycles (5), the European Commission recognises the potential of algae for the blue carbon economy.
The communication on a sustainable blue economy (6) also refers to the potential of algae to ensure a sustainable food system and global food security. 2.4.
The use of algae not only as an environmentally friendly (green) feedstock, but also in farming systems is in line with the blue economy’s waste minimisation principle, i.e. it can be both a blue and green product.
2.5.
Algae cultivation brings added value to almost all elements of the European Green Deal:
— climate protection through decarbonisation, — the production of biogas and biofuels for energy supply, — achieving circularity through waste management and zero pollution, — promoting a healthy and environmentally friendly food system, — protecting and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, developing environmental services, — zero pollution.
Stepping up algae production offers the following specific possibilities (7): — production of food (including infant formula) or food supplements (e.g. vitamins, carrageenan) in a sustainable manner, without the use of land; — production of state-of-the-art biogas and biofuels; — production of high added-value cosmetics, healthcare products (pharmaceutical extracts, pigments, thalassotherapy) and industrial raw materials (paper/bio-based fibres);
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7)
Towards a Strong and Sustainable EU Algae Sector, COM(2022) 592 final, 15 November 2022.
The European Green Deal, COM(2019) 640 final, 11 December 2019.
A Farm to Fork Strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, COM(2020) 381 final, 20 May 2020.
Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030, COM(2021) 236 final, 12 May 2021.
Sustainable Carbon Cycles, COM(2021) 800 final, 15 December 2021.
Transforming the EU’s Blue Economy for a Sustainable Future, COM(2021) 240 final, 17 May 2021.
Reference and other possibilities: Babich et al., Algae: Study of Edible and Biologically Active Fractions, Their Properties and Applications, Plants 2022, 11(6), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060780, and Poonam Sharma, Nivedita Sharma (2017), Industrial and Biotechnological Applications of Algae: A Review, Journal of Advances in Plant Biology — 1(1):01-25.
DOI 10.14302/issn.2638-4469. japb-17-1534, https://openaccesspub.org/article/530/japb-17-1534.pdf