1. Policy updates

EUBP continued the implementation of its PPWR advocacy strategy, further strengthening outreach towards relevant stakeholders and alliances, throughout April and early May. Meetings were held with, among others, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC), and 4everGreen to present and discuss EUBP’s priorities regarding the upcoming PPWR secondary legislation. On 16 April, EUBP also participated in a workshop organised by BIC dedicated to future biobased targets under the PPWR.  

In parallel, the publication of the report Support for bio-based feedstock in plastic packaging analysis under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 further contributed to the growing policy debateand visibility around Article 8 PPWR and future market-pull measures for biobased feedstock in plastic packaging. 

Work on the evaluation of the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) also intensified. Following the publication of EUBP’s position paper, the TF SUPD held dedicated meetings to finalise EUBP’s contribution to the Commission’s targeted stakeholder consultation, which closed on 11 May. EUBP continued to advocate for the exemption of certified biodegradable plastics from the scope of the SUPD and remained actively engaged with DG ENV and relevant stakeholders throughout this phase of the evaluation process. 

On 29 April, EUBP participated in the full-day stakeholder workshop on the upcoming Biotech Act II organised by DG GROW. Discussions focused in particular on market-pull measures, biobased content requirements, biomass availability and industrial scale-up opportunities. Regarding the upcoming Biotech Act II consultation, EUBP also established an ad hoc Task Force to coordinate the association’s contribution and gather input from members.  

April also offered opportunities to strengthen EUBP’s visibility within broader industrial and bioeconomy discussions:  

• On 15 April, EUBP participated in a working breakfast at the European Parliament on “Accelerating Europe’s Industry: Italian and Spanish Views on the EU’s Industrial Agenda”. Discussions focused on industrial competitiveness, strategic autonomy and the future of European industry within the Clean Industrial Deal context.  

• On 23 April, EUBP participated in Cefic’s Bioeconomy Dialogue dedicated to product-level biomass-derived content targets. The workshop provided a valuable opportunity to exchange views with downstream sectors and sector-specific associations on both opportunities and concerns related to future biobased content targets and implementation challenges. 

Our WG REGA meeting on 23 April allowed members to discuss, among other topics, the PPWR implementation phase, the Commission Notice and Q&A – following it’s publication on 30 March, the SUPD targeted consultation, Biotech Act II, and developments related to the Sustainable Taxonomy and Critical Chemicals Alliance. 

At alliance level, work also started behind the scenes to revise and strengthen the governance structure of the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA). Together with a coalition of volunteer organisations, EUBP is contributing to reflections on how to make the Alliance more impactful and operational in the coming years. 

Lorenza, Lorette and Julie made a trip by train to Ludwigshafen on 20-21 April to visit the site of our member BASF. The visit allowed us to discover the site, to tour the production plant of Ecoflex/Ecovio and visit the biodegradation lab, and to discuss with the teams in Ludwigshafen working on biopolymers product development and corporate sustainability/advocacy. 

Finally, on 7 May, Lorenza and Julie travelled to Interpack in Düsseldorf to meet members, reconnect with partners and engage with companies interested in joining EUBP. The fair clearly demonstrated the very highlevel of attention currently paid to the PPWR implementation phase across the packaging sector. Discussions repeatedly highlighted the industry’s strong need for clarity, predictability and effective representation in Brussels, particularly regarding the future role of biobased and compostable plastics within Europe’s circular economy transition. 

2. Sustainability and Environment

On 7 April EUBP, the WG SEA convenor took the opportunity to visit the facilities of the company Kompost-it (brand name Catchgreen), while in South Africa.  This company is hosted on the facilities of Alnet, a large producer of fishing- and agricultural netting.  Kompost-it extrudes filaments and make eg., biodegradable ropes for the fishing industry, while investigating biodegradable plastics for other applications e.g. lobster cages and agricultural netting.  A lack of certification for "durable” long-life (biodegradable) marine applications was mentioned as something that restricts the use of biodegradables in this industry.  EUBP reached out to our WG SEA members to gauge their interest in this topic.  We will revert to members on this topic in the coming months.    

An Advisory Committee meeting took place for EUBP’s Seedling certification scheme, on 21 April.  These meetings are focused on continual improvement of the scheme.  

On 22 April the WG SEA convenor attended a FAO private sector consultation and intervened on the benefits of products such as biodegradable mulch films, for the agrifood industry.   (The event was hosted by the European Dairy Association, which explains the presence of the large cheese on the table in the photo). 
  
The WG SEA chairs (Rudi Eswein and Elisabetta Ugel) worked with the convenor to compose an email that was sent on 27 April to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), correcting information on bioplastics that appeared in a report commissioned by the EEA to “Magellan Circle and 3drivers” for the assessment of the potential to enhance the circularity of bio-based waste in the European Union.   

On 28th April, Lorenza, Julie and Lorette were invited to meet with the Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium, Mr. Raschad Al-Khafaji, in Brussels.  This was a good opportunity to introduce European Bioplastics and to receive useful information on how our connection with FAO could be strengthened. 

• TF Feedstock: The Infographic “Sustainable Biomass for Bioplastics”1 was published on 23 April, closing out the last deliverable of this task force. EUBP is internally reflecting on potential future tasks for this task force. 
• TF MatRec: Work continued on deliverables D4 (Guidance doc on Design for Recycling (“DfR”) requirements) and D8 (Input to Delegated Act for DfR).  Various subgroups met early in the month to modify the benchmark tables used in the DfR documents.  A meeting took place with the JRC on 17th April.  They mentioned that our documents were of good quality, however they provided many additional written comments on our documents, which the Task Force started to address.   
  A formal Task Force meeting took place on 27 April, during which the deliverable D6 (a value proposition document for brands, to continue using compostable packaging even if the end of life may be recycling instead of composting), was discussed in detail.  Additional meetings were organised for advancing this deliverable, open to all MatRec members to participate, not just the volunteer team.  

• TF Safe: Work continued on deliverable D5 (updating an older microplastics paper) during 3 additional meetings in April.  

The next WG SEA meeting on 28th May will provide an update on all activities. 

3. Research and Innovation Projects

SUPERBARK

Upcoming touch base with the project SUPERBARK 23 June 2026 

The SuperBark project exploits natural components in softwood bark, a major industrial byproduct of the forest industry, to develop bio-based adhesives and coatings for wood panels and packaging paper with the functional, safety, and sustainability standards required by the industry and consumers. 

Register on Eventbrite 

Circular, Sustainable and Biobased Coatings: Sustainable Materials for Coatings

Proceedings of the “Circular, Sustainable and Biobased Coatings: Sustainable Materials for Coatings” event on 14 April 2026  

European Bioplastics, within the framework of the BLUECOAT project, has recently organised an online workshop on Sustainable Materials for Coatings, featuring contributions from four outstanding expert innovators and EU-funded projects. The workshop was held on 14 April 2026. This white paper presents evidence that sustainable coatings can be developed using lignin, cellulose, modified corn starches, and algae, and includes key messages for policymakers. 

MAGICBIOMAT

Touch base with MAGICBIOMAT on AI, mulch films and paper-based packaging 

The MAGICBIOMAT project gave a talk on its plans to leverage trustworthy AI to develop programmed biodegradable materials and products with enhanced circularity and proven biodegradability in open environments. Biodegradable plastics are designed to break down in controlled waste management conditions. MAGICBIOMAT will utilise AI software to design and develop bio-based materials that are programmed to biodegrade in real aquatic and terrestrial environments. The project focuses on two applications: agricultural mulching films and paper-based packaging. Recording and presentations are available on here.   

The project is actively seeking for collaboration opportunities with EUBP members. Please contact Chiara Bearzotti euprojects@european-bioplastics.org  

4. Events

In April, the EUBP Talks Series 2026 continued with two sessions. On 08 April, the session “Material Solutions: Bioplastics Beyond Packaging – Fibres & Textiles” attracted 86 participants online. The third EUBP Talk on “Consumer Goods” took place on 22 April with 74 participants. Preparations for upcoming sessions are ongoing, including continued engagement with speakers across the targeted sectors. 

Preparations for the European Bioplastics Conference 2026 also continued to progress throughout April. Sponsorship outreach gained strong momentum, with five sponsors already confirmed and several additionaldiscussions currently underway. At the same time, the Call for Papers continued to be promoted, with the first abstract submissions received. Industry stakeholders, researchers and innovators are invited to submit their proposals until 30 June 2026.

Early Bird registration remains open and continues to be promoted through our communication channels, alongside targeted outreach to potential sponsors, exhibitors and participants. Preparations for the conference programme and overall event planning are steadily advancing. 

In parallel, preparations were finalised for EUBP’s guided walking tour at Interpack 2026, “Packaging Futures”, taking place on 11 May. The tour concept was developed and launched for registration in April, featuring seven planned stops across participating exhibitor booths to showcase innovative bioplastics solutions directly on the trade fair floor. 

Overall, April was marked by continued momentum across the EUBP Talks Series, EBC26 preparations, and broader member engagement activities, with encouraging sponsor traction, growing programme development, and new visibility initiatives such as the Interpack guided tour.