Quantifying Bioeconomy capacity in rural Europe: An index-based comparative analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61308/AQUC2375Keywords:
bioeconomy, comparative analysis, EU policy, institutional capacity, rural developmentAbstract
This study examines the uneven capacity of EU Member States to implement Bioeconomy policies in rural areas by developing a composite Bioeconomy Policy Implementation Capacity Index (BPICI). Using 2023 data from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, the index integrates five dimensions: government effectiveness, regulatory quality, control of corruption, access to credit, and agricultural transformation intensity. The comparative results reveal sharp structural asymmetries: France demonstrates systemic readiness with high institutional effectiveness and market capacity, Bulgaria occupies an intermediate position with partial agrarian transformation but persistent governance deficits, while Romania records the lowest score due to limited institutional quality and economic diversification. The findings highlight the risks of a uniform EU policy model, and underscore the need for context-sensitive strategies that account for institutional and structural conditions. The BPICI contributes methodologically to indicator-based modeling of institutional capacity and offers a tool for strategic planning and policy monitoring.
References
Bioeast Initiative. (2020). Bioeast: Central and Eastern European initiative for knowledge-based agriculture, aquaculture and forestry in the Bioeconomy. https://bioeast.eu/
Bracco, S., Calicioglu, O., Gomez San Juan, M., & Flammini, A. (2018). Assessing the contribution of Bioeconomy to the total economy: A review of national frameworks. Sustainability, 10(6), 1698. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061698
Bugge, M. M., Hansen, T., & Klitkou, A. (2016). What is the Bioeconomy? A review of the literature. Sustainability, 8(7), 691. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8070691
Carus, M., & Dammer, L. (2018). The circular Bioeconomy – Concepts, opportunities, and limitations. Industrial Biotechnology, 14(2), 83-91. https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2018.29121.mca
D’Amato, D., Droste, N., Allen, B., Kettunen, M., & Lähtinen, K. (2017). Green, circular, bio economy: A comparative analysis of sustainability avenues. Journal of Cleaner Production, 168, 716-734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.09.053
Dax, T., & Fischer, M. (2018). An alternative policy approach to rural development in regions facing population decline. European Planning Studies, 26(2), 297-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2017.1361596
El-Chichakli, B., von Braun, J., Lang, C., Barben, D., & Philp, J. (2016). Policy: Five cornerstones of a global Bioeconomy. Nature, 535(7611), 221-223. https://doi.org/10.1038/535221a
European Commission. (2018). A sustainable Bioeconomy for Europe: Strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment: Updated Bioeconomy strategy. Publications Office of the European Union. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/792130
European Commission. (2019). The European Green Deal. Publications Office of the European Union. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0640
European Commission. (2023). Long-term vision for the EU’s rural areas: Towards stronger, connected, resilient and prosperous rural areas by 2040. https://rural-vision.europa.eu
Knickel, K., Redman, M., Darnhofer, I., & Ashkenazy, A. (2018). Between aspirations and reality: Making farming, food systems and rural areas more resilient, sustainable and equitable. Journal of Rural Studies, 59, 197-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2017.04.012
Lima, M. G. B. (2022). Just transition towards a bioeconomy: Four dimensions in Brazil, India and Indonesia. Forest Policy and Economics, 136, 102684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102684
Nardo, M., Saisana, M., Saltelli, A., & Tarantola, S. (2005). Tools for composite indicators building. OECD Statistics Working Papers, 2005/03. https://doi.org/10.1787/533411815016
Proestou, M., Goritz, N., & Feindt, P. H. (2025). Resilience orientation in bioeconomy policies: A global comparative analysis. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1-25.
Schipfer, F., Burli, P., Fritsche, U., Hennig, C., Stricker, F., Wirth, M., … Serna-Loaiza, S. (2024). The circular bioeconomy: A driver for system integration. Energy, Sustainability and Society, 14(1), 34.
Srivastav, A., Bagherian, A., & Ghosh, D. (2024). The circular bioeconomy: Pathways to sustainability and resource optimization. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 27, 815-832. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-024-03060-1
Stadler, T., & Chauvet, J. M. (2018). New innovative ecosystems in France to develop the bioeconomy. New Biotechnology, 40, 113-118.
Wegener, S., Labar, K., Petrick, M., Marquardt, D., Theesfeld, I., & Buchenrieder, G. (2011). Administering the Common Agricultural Policy in Bulgaria and Romania: Obstacles to accountability and administrative capacity. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 77(3), 583-608.
World Bank. (2023). World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI). The World Bank. https://databank.worldbank.org/
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
