The focus of this working group is to address the challenges that primary producers face in rolling out circular bio-based solutions and innovations while ensuring that they benefit from being part of new and innovative circular and bio-based value chains.
On 11 June 2025, CBE JU officially launched its working group on primary producers. Formally established during its inaugural meeting in Warsaw, the group brings together 64 representatives from across Europe to address challenges and co-develop practical solutions for integrating primary producers into bio-based value chains.
During this meeting, the leadership of the working group was established. John Brosnan was elected as chair, with Sophie Rabeau-Epsztein and Nicolaos Lakros (Agricultural Sector), David Bassett (Aquatic Sector), and Maria Pohjala and Carlo Piemonte (Forest Sector) elected as vice-chairs. Together, they will serve as the driving force behind the group’s activities. Initial insights and inputs were also gathered, focusing on several priority areas: awareness-raising, networking, capacity building, business models, and cooperation.
The RootLinks project will support the group’s three-year mandate by coordinating activities, facilitating communication, and turning ideas into action.
This initiative builds on CBE JU’s growing support for the sector, which has already seen €185 million invested since 2022 and 76 primary sector entities participating in funded projects.
Learn more about the launch of the primary producers working group.
The first cut-off date of the call to become member of the working group on primary producers was on 28 February 2025.
The CBE JU Governing Board has appointed the first working group members. The working group will be officially established in June 2025 during its first meeting.
The call for expression of interest remains open. New cut-off dates will be announced once a year to allow new members to join the working group in the future.
For further information please reach out to primary.producers [at] cbe.europa.eu.
The working group seeks a balanced membership, ensuring representation across EU regions, sub-sectors, and different types of primary production.
Follow the procedure set out in the call for expression of interest defines the process and the specific criteria for the establishment of the working group.
A decision of the CBE JU Governing Board and its annex on the process and specific criteria for the establishment of the working group give more details sets out the process and the specific criteria for the establishment of the working group.
The working group on primary producers aims to ensure that the agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors benefit from their involvement in innovative bio-based value chains while contributing to sustainability and economic growth.
The objectives of the working group are to:
The group will focus on identifying actionable solutions to key challenges, such as limited integration in value chains, financial and regulatory barriers, and insufficient access to knowledge and infrastructure.
A concept note sets out the working group's scope, objectives, tasks, and composition.
A decision of the CBE JU Governing Board and its annex on the process and specific criteria for the establishment of the working group give more details sets out the process and the specific criteria for the establishment of the working group.
A participatory workshop on engaging with primary producers in bio-based value chains welcomed nearly 40 stakeholders on 28 February 2024 in Brussels for a consultation on the proposed objectives, activities and future membership of the working group.
Consult the full workshop report.
The ‘HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024-CSA-03 - Supporting the CBE JU Deployment Group on Primary Producers’ topic of the CBE JU 2024 call was open to coordination and support action proposals. The selected project team will support the working group in successfully meeting its objectives.