1. Strategic Initiative for Resource Efficient Biomass Policies
Dr Calliope Panoutsou

2. Background & links with other initiatives
Biomass Futures start date
June 09
NREAP template with detailed requests for biomass potentials & use in MS
Oct 10
25 NREAPs submitted
March 2012
End of Biomass Futures project
Key messages: resource efficiency & work with national agencies towards smart biomass policies
April 2013
Biomass Policies
BEE, CEUBIOM, EUWOOD, BioBench
Biomass Futures work benchmarked with NREAPs info
BIOTEAM, BASIS, S2Biom

3. Aim EnR, IEA Bioenergy, AEBIOM, ….
The aim of the project is to develop integrated policies for the mobilisation of “resource efficient” indigenous biomass ‘value chains’ in order to evaluate the 2020 & 2030 bioenergy role (within NREAPs and other EU28/ national policy measures). It will do so by capitalising on the knowledge of three recent studies (Biobench; Biomass Futures and EEA study) and through concise collaboration with selected Energy Agencies (in the participating MS, i.e. AT, BE, DE, EL, ES, HR, IE, NL, PL, SK, UK) & and key stakeholders from the policy and market fields.
National level is relevant in the project only for the participating eleven countries.

4. The project will do so by focusing on:
Defining the main resource efficient biomass value chains for the participating individual MS and identify where there is risk for competition between different uses & risks for unsustainable practices, taking into account added value in the national and the intra-EU, neighbouring countries (cross border options) and broader international context.
Developing an integrated and balanced policy framework to simultaneously work towards the biofuel, bio-electricity and bio-heat targets through efficient use of biomass resources, in synergy with other biomass applications (food, feed, materials, chemicals), while maintaining ecosystem services and nature protection targets.
Support policy implementation in the participating MS by drafting legislative/ regulatory frameworks for the most relevant resource efficient bioenergy value chains for 2020 & beyond, covering techno-economic, sustainability and market related issues.

6. Key input from participating MS
Validation of cost supply data at national level
Validation & Updates on:
RES-Directive implementation for heat, power and biofuels
Sustainability
Agricultural, Waste and other relevant policies
National projects or reports with additional findings and recommendations on biomass production and use
National discussions on sustainability and biomass
Two national workshops to:
A) investigate regional barriers for optimal use of biomass and present the selected biomass value chains; get feedback/ positions of stakeholders involved and
ask them about gaps in national legislation/ regulatory measures and suggestions on how to improve them
B) present the integrated legislative framework, developed within the project and
ask feedback from the stakeholders and give them a chance to provide input.

7. Key outputs for Member States
Guidelines & protocols for:
data collection to estimate and monitor sustainable biomass supply at national level (feedstock-specific availability ratios and guidelines on most efficient conversion pathways).
selecting the most resource efficient value chains (with a thorough set of technical indicators) integrating resource efficiency (including sustainability aspects).
Map of the feedstock-related policy landscapes (broader than energy policy) in EU28 across sectors and Member States in the overall framework of sustainable bioeconomy.
Future integrated policy frameworks (for energy, fuels, biobased products) with balanced approach towards resource efficiency and competition and qualitative and quantitative assessment of their impacts towards meeting the NREAP targets (EU27 and participating MS).
Outlook of spatial biomass value chains at EU28, per MS, with updated cost-supply curves and a selection of the most promising feedstocks for biomass by region and country.

8. Focus of todays workshop
…on two important issues for future policy formation in the biomass sector, i) sustainability and ii) mobilisation of indigenous unexploited biomass resources through resource efficient value chains.
Regarding sustainability, the aim is to present a coherent framework for bioenergy and appreciate the key principles for sustainable biomass in the wider bioeconomy concept as well as discuss how the existing approaches affect biomass imports from other regions of the world.
Regarding mobilisation, the aim is to understand the challenges in terms of technical, economic and sustainability issues and define how future policy formation can facilitate the deployment of unexploited indigenous biomass resources through resource efficient value chains.

9. Looking forward to an interesting workshop! c.panoutsou@imperial.ac.uk