NURSECOAST-II contributing to to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy consultation

On 9 June 2025, NURSECOAST-II joined leading experts and policy-makers at the second PA Nutri Talks webinar, contributing to an important dialogue on regional strategies for nutrient recycling in the Baltic Sea Region. Organized as part of EU Green Week 2025, the event brought together a range of initiatives contributing to the EU Green Deal, including CiNURGi, Fertitec, GREENHOOD, and BIOSOLfarm.

The webinar featured presentations on national policy developments, innovative nutrient recovery solutions, and insights from diverse stakeholders. A collaborative workshop during the event also resulted in a Joint Opinion submitted to the EU Bioeconomy Strategy consultation, highlighting the need for an ambitious transition to circular nutrient systems.

The opinion calls for replacing 20% of mineral phosphorus and 15% of mineral nitrogen in fertilizers with recycled sources by 2030, supported by investments in recovery infrastructure and policy reform.

Special attention was given to tourist areas, where small wastewater treatment plants often operate inefficiently and contribute to seasonal nutrient loads. The opinion also advocates for integrating water and bioeconomy policies, revising the Common Agricultural Policy, and strengthening macro-regional cooperation through sustained funding and transnational collaboration.

Coordinators of Policy Area Nutri working under the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region gathered policy messages from several ongoing and past projects relevant to the bioeconomy topic.

Policy recommendations for the EU Bioeconomy Strategy based on NURSECOAST-II:

Well-managed and flexible wastewater solutions support sustainable tourism by protecting water quality and enabling nutrient recycling in tourism areas. This directly reflects the core principles of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy: the sustainable and efficient use of biological resources, the protection of ecosystem services, and the strengthening of regional resilience.

In tourism-intensive areas – especially in rural regions, coastal zones, and seasonal destinations – wastewater is not only an environmental concern but also a bio-based resource. When properly managed, it enables the local recovery and reuse of nutrients, water, and energy, supporting the development of circular and sustainable bioeconomy models, improving water resource sustainability, and fostering regional bio-based innovations.

Therefore, the upcoming EU Bioeconomy Strategy (2025) should:

• Acknowledge tourism infrastructure (e.g. wastewater systems) as a relevant application area of the bioeconomy,
• Support regional, scalable, and seasonally adaptive technologies that help safeguard ecosystem services,
• Promote policy instruments that enable small municipalities and tourism regions to transition toward circular, bio-based solutions,
• Provide incentives for tourism facility owners to reduce the environmental impacts of seasonally increased wastewater discharges,
• Provide incentives for municipal wastewater plants that manage wastewater transported from scattered tourist areas, causing extreme daily peaks and operational overload.

By aligning policy, innovation, and local action, we can make meaningful progress toward nutrient recovery, climate resilience, and a thriving circular bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region.

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