Croatia adopts bioeconomy strategy to 2035, earmarks €200mn through 2027

Croatia’s government has adopted a Bioeconomy Strategy running to 2035, setting out plans to expand sustainable production and boost value added in sectors ranging from agriculture and forestry to biobased manufacturing, the government said on January 8.

Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister David Vlajčić said the strategy would provide a strategic and planning framework for the intensive development of the bioeconomy, which he described as a key contributor to future economic growth and sustainability.

“The vision of the bioeconomy will be achieved by 2035 through the implementation of interventions, strategic projects and activities that contribute to two strategic goals – the development of sustainable production and markets for bioeconomy raw materials, and an increase in added value in the Croatian bioeconomy,” Vlajčić said.

Funding for the strategy will come primarily from European Union programmes, supplemented by the state budget, he added.

More than €199mn have been allocated for the first phase of implementation covering 2025-2027, the minister said. An indicative financial framework for the period from 2028 to 2035 will be defined later, after the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework is adopted.

Planned measures include the construction of biomass distribution centres, regulation of the use of waste sludge, incentives for building and modernising production capacities in bioeconomy sectors, and support for the manufacture of packaging from recycled materials, biobased products and biodegradable plastics. The strategy also prioritises research, development and innovation linked to the bioeconomy.

Vlajčić said the government aims to reduce Croatia’s dependence on non-renewable raw materials, while supporting rural and coastal areas through the expansion of bio-based activities.

The strategy is expected to increase volume and productivity in agriculture, forestry and fisheries, stimulate the use of by-products, residues and waste from production and processing, and help develop a domestic biomass market, he said.

The Bioeconomy Strategy until 2035 is a multi-sectoral, long-term planning document aligned with Croatia’s National Development Strategy to 2030, particularly its goal of food self-sufficiency and the development of the bioeconomy.

The government launched work on the strategy in October 2022, tasking the agriculture, economy, science and regional development ministries with drafting the document.