Europaudvalget 2022-23 (2. samling)
EUU Alm.del Bilag 122
Offentligt
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Draft programme
Circular bioeconomy:
the pathway towards a more
innovative, resource efficient and
competitive Europe
Monday 20 February 2023 09:30–16:00 (CET)
Digital meeting
Interparliamentary conference organised under the
auspices of the Committee on Environment and
Agriculture of the Swedish Riksdag
Version as of 16 December 2022
 EUU, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 122: Invitation til interparlamentarisk videokonference om cirkulær bioøkonomi 20/2-23
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Welcome to
The Riksdag’s interparliamentary conference on Circular
bioeconomy – Monday 20 February 2023 – Digital meeting
The conference
Circular bioeconomy: the pathway towards a more innovative, resource efficient and
competitive Europe
is organised under the auspices of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture
of the Riksdag as part of the parliamentary dimension of the Swedish EU Presidency. The event is
online and takes place on Monday 20 February 2023. By bringing together delegates from Europe’s
national chambers and parliaments, the European Parliament, researchers, national and international
organisations, youth organisations and more, we seek to facilitate debate and an exchange of ideas on
bioeconomy policy and the role it has to play in ensuring Europe’s sustainable future. A live stream of
the conference will be available on the Riksdag website to allow everyone to follow the debate.
The European Green Deal sets the EU’s ambition to become climate neutral by 2050, and the
bioeconomy plays a leading role in the Green Deal transition. The bioeconomy is already one of the
Union’s largest sectors as it encompasses all sectors and associated services that produce, use, process,
distribute or consume biological resources. The EU Bioeconomy Strategy from 2018 complements
sectoral policies and enables countries and regions to design transition pathways according to their
specific challenges and opportunities. The objective of the conference is to examine the state of play
of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy across sectors and different parts of Europe, bringing to light success
stories and best practices, as well as facilitating opportunities for participants to discuss future
challenges and opportunities.
Explore practical examples of the bioeconomy and join the discussion about the next steps at the
regional, national and European level!
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 122: Invitation til interparlamentarisk videokonference om cirkulær bioøkonomi 20/2-23
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Conference agenda
The platform will be open for testing between 08:30 and 09:30 (CET)
on the day of the conference, Monday 20 February 2023.
Session 1: High-level opening – What is the role of the bioeconomy in
delivering the Green Deal?
09:30–10:30 (CET)
Digital, plenary meeting
Speakers
Emma Nohrén (Green Party) and Kjell-Arne Ottosson (Christian Democrats)
Chair and Deputy Chair of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture of the Riksdag
Name to be confirmed.
Member of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European
Parliament
Florika Fink-Hooijer
Director-General at the European Commission, DG Environment
Peter Kullgren
Minister for Rural Affairs, Swedish Ministry of Infrastructure
10:30–11:00 (CET)
Break
Session 1I: Bioeconomy policy innovations across sectors
11:00–12:00 (CET)
Digital, parallel panels
Parallel panel 1: Roles and possibilities of the forestry industry
Description
The forest-based sector is at the heart of a transition to a more innovative, resource efficient and
competitive Europe by producing not just wood, but also bio-based chemicals, biocomposites, lignin,
biofuels, and much more. While innovating and producing alternatives to fossil-based materials, the
sector must also ramp up its environmental work, for instance by protecting and improving
biodiversity. The legislative process ahead must therefore reconcile different societal needs:
delivering on its environmental commitments while at the same time ensuring continued access to
renewable, forest-based materials.
Speakers
Viveka Beckeman
CEO at the Swedish Forest Industries Federation
Katrin Jõgi
EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassador and Sustainability Manager at Fibenol
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 122: Invitation til interparlamentarisk videokonference om cirkulær bioøkonomi 20/2-23
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Harald Mauser
Liaison Officer at the European Forest Institute
Moderator
Kjell-Arne Ottosson (Christian Democrats)
Deputy Chair of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture of the Riksdag
Parallel panel 2: National and regional bioeconomy strategies
Description
There is a need for policy coordination as the demands for biomass production increase. The EU
Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan from 2018 included specific actions to encourage the adoption of
national and regional bioeconomy strategies tailored to their specific challenges and opportunities.
Ten EU member states already have dedicated bioeconomy strategies, and an additional number of
member states are currently preparing national policy frameworks on the bioeconomy.
Speakers
Órlaith Ní Choncubhair
Senior Research Officer in Teagasc, the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority and
member of The International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy
Lena Ek
Inquiry Chair for a Swedish bioeconomy strategy
Petri Peltonen
Under-Secretary of State at Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland
Moderator
Anna-Caren Sätherberg (Social Democratic Party)
Member of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture of the Riksdag
Parallel panel 3: The bioeconomy in the context of Europe’s food security
Description
Europe’s food security is once again at the top of the agenda. How we produce, supply and consume
food in the EU is of key importance in the fight against climate change, as well as for achieving
long-term independence. At the same time, the EU needs to produce more food for itself and the
world. This calls for a dialogue around evidence-based solutions for sustainable, efficient and
resilient food systems.
Speakers
Claes Johansson
Head of Sustainable Development at Lantmännen
Christina Nordin
Director-General of the Swedish Board of Agriculture
Pekka Pesonen
Secretary-General at Copa-Cogeca
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Moderator
Staffan Eklöf (Sweden Democrats)
Member of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture of the Riksdag
Parallel panel 4: Blue bioeconomy
Description
Fisheries and aquaculture have long been important sources of food, but outside these sectors the use
of renewable aquatic biological resources is still at a very early stage. By identifying new, and
improving existing, ways of bringing blue bio-based products and services to the market, we can find
new ways of creating value from the blue economy. The blue bioeconomy also offers considerable
opportunities for European coastal communities, not least by providing new job opportunities.
Speakers
Fredrik Gröndahl
Director of the Kristineberg Centre for Marine Research and Innovation
Ingeborg Korme
Science-Policy Advisor at JPI Oceans and BlueBio Cofund
Gian Marco Luna
Director of the Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology, Italian National
Research Council
Moderator
Emma Nohrén (Green Party)
Chair of the Committee on Environment and Agriculture of the Riksdag
12:00–13:30 (CET)
Lunch break
Session III: Circular business models beyond pilot scale
13:30–14:30 (CET)
Digital, plenary session
Description
While policy and regulations set the targets and direction, businesses - large and small - have an
opportunity to speed up the transition by conducting business in a responsible manner. Through
cooperation with politicians and policymakers these actors have the potential to upscale circular
business models in Europe and beyond. What is needed for circular business models to move beyond
pilot scale?
Speakers
Annica Bresky
President and CEO at Stora Enso
Nina Ekelund
Executive Director of Hagainitiativet
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2022-23 (2. samling) - Bilag 122: Invitation til interparlamentarisk videokonference om cirkulær bioøkonomi 20/2-23
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Khaled Soufani
Director of the Circular Economy Centre at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge
Moderator
Ingrid Petersson
Inquiry Chair at the Swedish Government Offices
14:30–15:00 (CET)
Break
Session IV: Conference closing – What are the next steps for the circular
bioeconomy in Europe?
15:00–16:00 (CET)
Digital, plenary session
Speakers
Joanna Drake
Deputy Director-General at the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation
Francis X. Johnson
Policy/Climate Cluster Lead and Senior Research Fellow at Stockholm Environment Institute
Ananya Manna
Investment Director, European Circular Bioeconomy Fund
Pieter Nachtergaele
EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassador and Postdoctoral Researcher at Ghent University
Pekka Pesonen
Secretary-General at Copa-Cogeca
Virginijus Sinkevičius
Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
Moderator
Ingrid Petersson
Inquiry Chair at the Swedish Government Offices
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