Brussels, 23 April 2026

EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, strongly welcomes the draft report tabled by co-rapporteurs Christian Ehler (EPP) and Dan Nica (S&D) in the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). This report makes important strides for the European entrepreneurial and critical tech community, the Union's global autonomy and its future prosperity. 

ITRE's rapporteurs have made a clear and meaningful choice: biotechnology must be treated as a horizontal enabling technology, not a health sub-category. By explicitly adding biomanufacturing and extending the scope to cross-sectoral applications across health, agriculture, industry and the bioeconomy, the report reflects the true breadth of what biotechnology delivers for Europe's economy. This is reinforced by a recital that strengthens the Commission's original proposal, acknowledging Europe's persistent challenge in translating scientific excellence into scalable industrial production, calling for support across the full innovation cycle and addressing the availability, accessibility and security of supply of biotech products.

The report sends a clear political signal that biotechnology and biomanufacturing must sit at the heart of Europe's industrial future. EuropaBio calls on co-legislators to carry this ambition through to the final text.

"Biotechnology runs through every sector of our economy, from healthcare to industry to agriculture. The ITRE report gets this right. Now the task is to ensure the budget and implementation follow through. We are in a defining opportunity to transform our industry, to make it more sustainable, productive and competitive. The only way to make our continent a global leader is to lean on its excellent science and help it scale into products" said Dr Claire Skentelbery, Director General of EuropaBio.