BIOREGIO – Regional circular economy models and best available technologies for biological streams organized its final high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. The overall importance of this event can be seen in the inclusion by the European Commission as one of the partner events of the EU Green Week 2021. The event was attended by more than 60 representatives of various stakeholders from 11 European countries. The online event was hosted by the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA), one of the BIOREGIO partners.
Bio-based circular economy: EU level perspective
The event was opened by the representatives of SUA and the Nitra Self-Governing Region. The Project Manager Katerina Medkova (2021), from LAB University of Applied Sciences, gave a well-founded and interesting presentation of BIOREGIO and its significant benefits to supporting the bio-based circular economy in partner regions.
The keynote speakers were representatives of the major European institutions. Marie Guitton, Policy Officer at Interreg Europe, presented the state of play of the Interreg Europe Programme. She evaluated BIOREGIO active contribution and congratulated on great achievements, especially on improving nine policy instruments. Ms Guitton also informed about the direction of the Interreg Europe programme in the upcoming period. The programme evolution can be seen, for instance, defining only one single priority instead of the current four, to better reflect the core focus on capacity building. (Guitton 2021.)
Pavel Mišiga, representative of the European Commission from the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, described the current state and vision of the circular bioeconomy in the EU. He emphasized the importance of the circular bioeconomy as an important transition pathway towards circular and carbon-neutral economy (Mišiga 2021.)
The section was closed by Ivan Filus, who acts as the national contact point for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe in the field of innovation. In his speech on the EU Green Deal, he defined its role in the new Horizon Europe framework programme. Horizon Europe is the largest EU research and innovation programme with a total budget of EUR 100 billion with four Green Deal missions: climate adaption, oceans, cities, and soil. (Filus 2021.)
Regional Achievements
At the regional level, the results of the BIOREGIO action plans and their implementation were presented by representatives of partners from Finland, Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Romania and France. They highlighted the activities increasing the recycling rates of biological materials. Furthermore, all partners’ regions emphasized better preparedness for the development of relevant regional policies to support the bio-based circular economy focused on closing the cycle of biological materials.
This international event declared a gradual transition to a wider and more sustainable use of biological resources throughout the EU, which is also one of the main BIOREGIO goals. The event can be assessed as very successful. All presentations of guests and project partners are accessible from the BIOREGIO website.
Authors
Eleonora Marisova is a profesor at the Department of Law, Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. She acts as a project manager and local coordinator of the Interreg Europe BIOREGIO project in Slovakia.
Katerina Medkova works as an RDI specialist at LAB University of Applied Sciences and is the BIOREGIO Project and Communication Manager. BIOREGIO is an Interreg Europe funded project, which started in January 2017 and lasts until December 2021. LAB University of Applied Sciences acts as BIOREGIO lead partner.
Martin Valach works as a project administrator at the Office of Project and Transfer Activities, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra. In Interreg Europe BIOREGIO project, he is in charge of administrative and communication activities.
References
Filus, I. 2021. EU Green Deal: Horizon Europe funding for a sustainable future. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Guitton, M. 2021. Interreg Europe: state of play. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Ledecký, J. 2021. Examples of the circular economy in less developed regions in Slovakia. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Masničáková, M. 2021. Legislative regulation of biodegradable waste according to the Waste Act. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Medkova, K. 2021. BIOREGIO boosting bio-based circular economy. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Misiga, P. 2021. Circular Bio-economy: the pathway to sustainability, recovery and resilience. Presentation given at BIOREGIO high-level dissemination event on 11 May 2021. [Cited 22 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
Video
Video 1: Vanhamäki, S., Medkova, K. & Rouhiainen, O. 2018. BIOREGIO video 08/2018. LAMK Green. [Cited 20 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sqjf8skkGOk&list=PLar9YWNRDiueENvBIPGpgXPOphOXnT3Nq&index=6
Links
Link 1. Interreg Europe. 2021a. Project Summary. BIOREGIO. [Cited 20 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/
Link 2. European Commission. 2021. EU Green Week 2021. European Union. [Cited 20 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.eugreenweek.eu/
Link 3. Interreg Europe. 2021b. Action Plans. BIOREGIO. [Cited 18 Mar 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/action-plans/
Link 4. Interreg Europe. 2021c. BIOREGIO Final Dissemination Event PRESENTATIONS. Library. BIOREGIO. [Cited 20 May 2021]. Available at: https://www.interregeurope.eu/bioregio/library/#folder=2964
