The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion public-private partnership between the Bio-Based Industries Consortium and the European Union, went into force on Tuesday, November 30th. The partnership will foster growth in Europe’s circular bio-based industries. The first call for project proposals is expected in the second to third quarter of 2022.
The CBE JU supports European efforts to transition away from non-renewable fossil raw materials by developing ‘strong, resource-efficient and competitive bio-based industries’ through innovation, collaboration, job creation, and de-risking investments. Its work will be guided by the EU’s climate targets set out in the European Green Deal, focusing particularly on greenhouse gas net neutrality by 2050.
The CBE JU’s objectives are to accelerate new bio-based solutions as well as market deployment of existing ones. It also seeks to monitor the environmental performance of bio-based industries.
A tentative timeline for CBE JU’s work has been sketched. By mid-December 2021, the CBE JU’s decision-making Governing Board will be established. The establishment of its States Representatives Group and its Scientific Committee will come in the first to second quarter of 2022. The State Representatives Groups will give voice to EU Member States on the CBE JU’s work. The Scientific Committee will advise on the scientific priorities to be addressed by the CBE JU.
CBE JU is the full legal successor to the European Bio-Based Industries Initiative Joint Undertaking (BBI JU). Founded in 2014, the BBI JU reached the end of its planned duration in 2020. All contracts, grant agreements, and liabilities of the BBI JU now fall to the CBE JU.
Commenting on the BBI JU to CBE JU transition, Executive Director of BBI JU Philippe Mengal said: “Bio-based industries are considered to be a key enabler of the green transition towards a resilient and environmentally sustainable EU economy and one of the main objectives of the CBE JU will be investing in research & innovation across scientific disciplines that support bioeconomy and stimulate its uptake by industry.”
The 2014 BBI JU focused on investing in new biorefining technologies. As Europe’s bio-based industries mature, the new CBE JU will pursue the additional goal of bringing existing products to market.
