In the European Union (EU), certification related to bio-based sectors has been developing in a fragmented and sector-specific manner. Unlike other industrial sectors, the EU has not established a single certification system for bio-based products but has instead promoted various regulatory instruments and verification schemes based on environmental risks, public policy objectives, and the maturity level of each sector. The shortcomings of present certification procedures, especially their reliance on qualitative assumptions or non-comparable measures, are becoming more apparent as bio-based products posture themselves as important facilitators of the European green transition. Specifically, by application sector:
In the agri-food sector, the first relevant regulatory framework was Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 in 1991, which was subsequently replaced in 2007 by Council Regulation (EC) No 834/2007, and repealed in 2018 by Regulation (EU) 2018/848. The current regulation establishes certification systems, standards, and the labeling of organic products. This framework constitutes the first harmonised organic certification system in the EU, focused on production practices, traceability, and official control.
In parallel, the sustainable management of resources in the forest sector was supported by voluntary schemes aligned with EU biodiversity and land-use policies. In this sector, certifications such as FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) stand out. Both certifications are promoted by global non-profit organisations based outside the EU, but they operate in accordance with EU forestry strategies.
In the bioenergy and biofuel sectors, certification has become firmly established as a regulatory requirement. Initially, the regulatory framework was established through Directive 2009/28/EC – RED I, and was subsequently reinforced with new sustainability requirements and greenhouse gas emission (GHG) reduction targets through Directive (EU) 2018/2001 – RED II. Currently, the regulation in force is Directive (EU) 2023/2413, which includes stricter requirements and extends the mandatory certification. These directives enabled the European Commission’s recognition of voluntary certification schemes as compliance mechanisms, effectively granting them a regulatory role. This has led to the widespread adoption of schemes such as ISSC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) or Bonsucro to demonstrate conformity with EU sustainability requirements.
In non-energy industrial sectors (e.g., chemicals, bio-based plastics, construction) certification relies on technical standards and voluntary tools, such as EN and ISO standards on bio-based content (e.g, EN 16785-1). Also, they rely on environmental assessment methodologies based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), aligned with Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279 on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF). In addition, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) based on LCA have gained importance. Although they are not sustainability certifications in the strict sense, they enable the communication of environmental impacts in a standardised and comparable manner. They are increasingly used for bio-based products where environmental differentiation is key.
Cross-sector regulatory initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the European Bioeconomy Strategy (2012, 2018, updated in 2025), and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) have recently reinforced the need for coherence across sectors, promoting standardised assessments of sustainability, circularity, and environmental performance. These policies do not introduce specific certifications, but they create the regulatory context that drives the development and convergence of certification systems in the EU bioeconomy.
Within the framework of LCA4BIO, the latest workshop held with bioindustry stakeholders confirmed the strategic relevance of bio-based product certification, identifying ISCC, RSPO, and Bonsucro as the most widely used schemes for biofuels, plastics, and other bio-based materials. However, it became evident that their application often relies on estimates and general assumptions about environmental benefits, rather than on fully comparable quantitative assessments. Likewise, non-certified stakeholders indicated a growing interest in ISCC and EPD, highlighting the need to adapt R&D processes to certification requirements, with special emphasis on the transparency, comparability, and robustness of environmental data. The barriers identified during the workshop were the cost and time associated with certification processes, the lack of technical expertise, unfamiliarity with the available schemes, and, most notably, the difficulty in reliably quantifying and demonstrating the environmental benefits of bio-based products. Risks related to fraud, regulatory fragmentation, and the lack of LCA methodologies adapted to specific products were also highlighted.
Against this background, the discussions held with bioindustry stakeholders highlight a structural gap between existing certification schemes and the growing regulatory and market demand. While current schemes play a important role in ensuring traceability and minimum sustainability safeguards, they often fall short in providing product-level, quantitative environmental performance data. Addressing this gap requires the development of harmonised, LCA-based methodologies and data frameworks that can support both certification and emerging regulatory instruments. Initiatives such as LCA4BIO contribute to this transition by strengthening the methodological foundations needed to improve credibility, reduce uncertainty, and support a more coherent and competitive European bioindustry aligned with long-term sustainability objectives.
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Author: Eva Penín