The European Commission has unveiled a transformative vision for algae-based solutions across Europe through its groundbreaking ‘Study to support a Sustainable EU Algae Industry‘. Released by DG MARE and the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), this comprehensive strategy represents the first unified, evidence-based EU roadmap that consolidates multiple algae and microalgae applications (Trinomics et al., 2025). By strengthening the EU Algae Initiative (European Commission, 2022) and aligning resources through CINEA with direct connections to the European Ocean Pact, this landmark initiative positions algae at the intersection of resilient oceans, thriving coastal communities, and an expanding blue bioeconomy.
Over an intensive 18-month period, the research consortium – led by Trinomics with partners from eight specialised organisations across Europe – conducted extensive literature reviews, stakeholder consultations, and technical assessments. Their findings offer policymakers, researchers, and innovators evidence-based pathways to unlock algae’s transformative potential, providing concrete recommendations for overcoming current barriers whilst establishing Europe as a global leader in sustainable algae production. The complete study, available through CINEA’s digital publications platform, serves as a critical open-access resource for stakeholders across the entire algae value chain (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Europe’s algae and microalgae industry: a strategic pathway to sustainability
The study’s ambitious scope transcends traditional sectoral boundaries, addressing six interconnected domains that define Europe’s sustainable future:
- replacing fish-based ingredients in aquafeeds
- developing innovative fertilisers and biostimulants for organic farming
- treating wastewater whilst closing nutrient loops
- contributing to carbon sequestration and climate resilience
- supporting sustainable seaweed harvesting, and
- advancing new food systems (Trinomics et al., 2025).
This comprehensive approach reflects the Commission’s recognition that algae cultivation represents not merely an opportunity, but a necessity for achieving Europe’s climate goals, sustainable food systems, and circular economic growth.
Revolutionising aquaculture through algae-based feed innovations
The integration of algae into aquaculture feeds emerges as one of the most immediately actionable applications for European algae production, offering both environmental and economic benefits. Research demonstrates that algae-based feeds not only match the performance of traditional fish-based options but also significantly reduce pressure on wild fish stocks whilst supporting healthier marine ecosystems (Trinomics et al., 2025). The potential for complete replacement of fish-based ingredients proves particularly compelling, with algae meal and oil potentially comprising 10-15% of total feed for salmon and trout, and an impressive 20-25% for seabass and seabream.
Despite these promising prospects, economic barriers continue to impede widespread adoption. While algae-based feeds currently command premium prices compared to conventional alternatives, the study identifies strategic interventions that could rapidly accelerate market competitiveness. Key recommendations include establishing minimum inclusion targets of 25% for EPA and DHA from non-fish sources, implementing the ‘as low as reasonably achievable’ (ALARA) principle for feed contaminants, and reducing allowable levels for PCBs and dioxins in feed regulations (Trinomics et al., 2025). These targeted measures would create powerful market incentives whilst ensuring food safety standards that surpass current requirements.
Furthermore, the research unveils promising opportunities for utilising European sugar side-streams in heterotrophic algae growth, particularly from plant-based anaerobic digestion, winery, and brewery effluents. This circular economy approach could dramatically reduce production costs whilst simultaneously addressing pressing waste management challenges. As the study notes, ‘effluents from plant-based anaerobic digestion (AD), winery and brewery plants, are suitable for cultivating microalgae biomass, economically competitive and abundantly available in Europe‘ (Trinomics et al., 2025, p. 19), highlighting the synergistic potential of integrated systems.
Unlocking circular nutrient solutions for organic agriculture
The application of recycled nutrients in microalgae cultivation for organic farming presents a complex landscape of opportunities and regulatory challenges that demands careful navigation. Remarkably, the research reveals that no existing European project has specifically targeted the development of organic-certified algae-based fertilising products, exposing a significant gap in current innovation efforts (Trinomics et al., 2025). This finding underscores an urgent need for targeted research and development to bridge the divide between circular economy principles and stringent organic certification requirements.
The study’s assessment identifies three production scenarios as legally, economically, and environmentally viable: utilising plant-based AD digestate, employing treated winery/brewery effluents, and working with untreated winery/brewery effluents. Each pathway offers distinct advantages and challenges, though regulatory uncertainty remains a formidable barrier to implementation. The research emphasises that whilst current initiatives champion circularity, they inadequately address compatibility with organic regulation — a critical factor for developing products suitable for organic agriculture (Trinomics et al., 2025).
To overcome these challenges, the study proposes comprehensive recommendations including creating a level playing field in organic regulations for algae products, establishing ambitious European nutrient recycling targets, and developing standardised monitoring methods for organic fertiliser products. Notably, the research suggests that integrating agriculture into the EU Emissions Trading System, following Denmark’s pioneering example with its new Farm CO2 tax, could provide essential economic incentives for circular nutrient use whilst simultaneously supporting climate objectives (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Advancing wastewater treatment and biostimulant production
The strategic integration of algae cultivation with wastewater treatment systems presents a compelling dual-benefit scenario: achieving water purification whilst generating valuable biomass. The study identifies four wastewater types as particularly suitable for this approach: urban wastewater, aquaculture effluent, horticulture effluent, and manure-based digestate (Trinomics et al., 2025). Among these, urban and horticulture effluents demonstrate the most promising potential for microalgae integration, especially in smaller urban areas where land requirements remain manageable.
However, the research reveals critical considerations that must guide implementation strategies. Algae treatment systems demand substantial land area depending on wastewater volume and nutrient concentration, potentially making industrial symbiosis configurations more practical than standalone facilities. A crucial regulatory distinction emerges: ‘algae grown on untreated wastewater are classified as sewage sludge, subject to the Sewage Sludge Directive‘ (Trinomics et al., 2025, pp. 26-27), whilst algae cultivated from aquaculture and horticulture effluents may qualify as high-quality products if properly integrated and approved through appropriate channels.
From an economic perspective, the production of biostimulants from algae currently represents the most viable market route, as production costs for conventional fertilisers remain prohibitively high for competition. The study recommends strategic amendments to the Fertilising Product Regulation to include accepted growing media for algae cultivation, encompassing treated urban wastewater, aquaculture effluent, and other recycled nutrient sources (Trinomics et al., 2025), thereby creating a more favourable regulatory environment for innovation.
Harnessing climate mitigation potential in European seas
European seaweed forests serve as vital ecological infrastructure whilst demonstrating remarkable carbon sequestration potential. Current estimates suggest these underwater forests could sequester up to 4.2 million tonnes of carbon annually – equivalent to approximately 15 million tonnes of CO₂ (Trinomics et al., 2025). This natural capital varies significantly by region, with kelp species including Laminaria spp, Saccharina latissima, and Alaria esculenta dominating colder northern seas, whilst Fucus and Cystoseira species prevail in temperate and Mediterranean zones, each adapted to their specific environmental conditions.
The research identifies critical restoration priorities across European waters, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean, and specific areas of the North Sea and British Isles, where seaweed forests face accelerating decline from climate change impacts, habitat loss, and invasive species pressure. Cultivated macroalgae could potentially contribute an additional 1.1 million tonnes of carbon sequestration annually, though scientific uncertainty and economic barriers continue to constrain realisation of this potential (Trinomics et al., 2025). The study emphasises that robust monitoring, reporting, and verification systems remain essential for environmental integrity, particularly as macroalgal carbon removal approaches potential integration into carbon markets.
Microalgae cultivation offers distinctive opportunities for producing long-lasting carbon storage products, including biochar and biocement applications. However, realising this potential requires systematically addressing scalability challenges, developing strains with enhanced tolerance to high temperatures and CO₂ concentrations, and thoroughly understanding ecological risks. The research advocates for a phased implementation approach, prioritising demonstration sites and field trials to validate cultivation methods and carbon sequestration rates under diverse real-world conditions (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Optimising sustainable harvesting and beach-cast management
Wild seaweed harvesting maintains commercial significance across six EU countries, with annual yields demonstrating substantial variation from 10 tonnes in Denmark to 60,000 tonnes in France (Trinomics et al., 2025). All participating countries employ permit or licensing systems aligned with EU environmental policies, though harvest data remains fragmented across disparate national databases. The study emphasises that whilst future EU seaweed production will increasingly focus on cultivation, wild harvesting continues to support vital coastal jobs and sustain rural economies.
Beach-cast seaweed collection practices exhibit significant regional variation, complementing wild harvesting along the North Sea and Atlantic coasts, aligning with beach cleaning initiatives in the Baltic region, and primarily involving protected Posidonia seagrass in the Mediterranean. Recorded volumes range dramatically from 50 tonnes in Lithuania to over 50,000 tonnes in France, representing a valuable source of compost and fertiliser, particularly in eutrophic regions where nutrient recovery offers environmental benefits (Trinomics et al., 2025).
The research strongly recommends developing comprehensive EU-level guidance for wild seaweed harvesting, built upon Common Fisheries Policy and Circular Economy Action Plan principles. Harmonising sustainability standards across Member States should incorporate ecosystem-based management principles, science-based harvesting quotas, and species-specific low-impact collection methods. Establishing EU-wide beach-cast data reporting through EMODnet would effectively close current information gaps and support enhanced management strategies (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Transforming food systems and methane reduction strategies
Select algae species, particularly Arthrospira (spirulina), Saccharina latissima, and Alaria esculenta, demonstrate significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional animal-based proteins (Trinomics et al., 2025). However, Europe’s algae sector remains underdeveloped, with per capita consumption well under 1 kg annually – a stark contrast to over 2 kg in parts of Asia. This limited uptake stems from a combination of cultural unfamiliarity, regulatory hurdles, and restricted market availability.
The most promising application for emissions reduction involves Asparagopsis species as a targeted feed additive for ruminants. Compelling studies indicate that Asparagopsis can reduce methane emissions by over 50% at inclusion rates of 0.2-0.5% of dry matter intake, and by more than 80% at approximately 1% DMI (Trinomics et al., 2025). However, safety concerns regarding compounds like bromoform and iodine necessitate further research before widespread adoption can proceed responsibly.
Strategic recommendations for advancing algae integration in food systems include expanding the list of species authorised under EU Novel Food legislation, defining clear and harmonised safety benchmarks for algae-based products, and improving labelling transparency to build consumer trust. The Wiise benefit’s FARE (Food and Agriculture Requirements) unit contributes to this process with its expertise in regulatory analysis of microalgae and the blue bioeconomy, as demonstrated in the ProFuture and EcoeFISHent research projects.
The study highlights that well-designed consumer awareness campaigns could help address taste and accessibility concerns by promoting algae as an ingredient in familiar foods. At the same time, supportive policies and simplified regulatory pathways would consolidate Europe’s competitive position in the algae market (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Charting future research priorities and policy recommendations
The comprehensive analysis identifies several critical research gaps demanding immediate attention to accelerate industry development. Priority areas include developing pilot and full-scale studies on growing algae on effluents, with transparent reporting of key parameters including algae productivity, nitrogen and phosphorus uptake efficiency, and reactor area footprint (Trinomics et al., 2025). The development of novel microalgae reactors with reduced land requirements could significantly improve adoption rates for wastewater treatment applications, making implementation more feasible across diverse urban contexts.
For macroalgae cultivation, future research must focus on improving understanding of carbon sequestration pathways, including air-sea CO₂ exchange dynamics, biomass fate quantification, and the role of oceanographic conditions in determining carbon permanence. The study recommends prioritising research into species native to Europe to optimise yield whilst ensuring environmental compatibility and ecosystem integrity (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Policy recommendations span multiple EU directorates and emphasise the critical need for coordinated action across institutional boundaries. Key proposals include introducing tax incentives for industrial symbiosis initiatives, creating an interservice group with representatives from relevant DGs to ensure proper adoption of algae-grown biomass in EU legal frameworks, and strategically integrating macroalgae cultivation with offshore wind energy projects to achieve environmental and spatial synergies (Trinomics et al., 2025).
Conclusion: navigating towards a sustainable blue-green future
The European algae industry stands at a critical juncture, poised for transformative growth contingent upon strategic investments, regulatory reforms, and sustained research and development efforts. This comprehensive study conclusively demonstrates that algae cultivation can contribute meaningfully to multiple EU policy objectives, from sustainable aquaculture and organic agriculture to climate mitigation and circular economy goals. However, realising this immense potential requires systematically addressing current barriers through coordinated action across research, industry, and policy domains.
The findings underscore that whilst technological solutions exist for many applications, economic viability and regulatory clarity remain the primary constraints limiting widespread adoption. By implementing the study’s comprehensive recommendations — including minimum inclusion targets for algae-based ingredients, harmonised sustainability standards, and targeted research funding — Europe can establish itself as the global leader in sustainable algae production. The transition from a nascent industry relying heavily on wild harvesting to a mature sector centred on controlled cultivation will require sustained commitment and investment. Yet the environmental, economic, and social benefits clearly justify this strategic investment in Europe’s blue-green future, positioning the continent at the forefront of sustainable bioeconomy innovation.
Dario Dongo
Cover art copyright © 2025 Dario Dongo (AI-assisted creation)
References
- European Commission. (2022). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Towards a strong and sustainable EU algae sector (COM/2022/592 final). https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52022DC0592&qid=1756724703130
- Trinomics, sPro, Ghent University, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Technopolis, Roheline Vihmavari, Møreforsking, & Noord University. (2025). Study to support a Sustainable EU Algae Industry: Final report. European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). European Maritime, Aquaculture and Fisheries Fund (EMFAF). https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/publications/digital-publications/study-support-eu-sustainable-algae-industry_en
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
