Proposals should:

1. Identify the range of biological resources intended for industrial bio-based systems at EU and local (regional/rural/urban/coastal) scale, including primary biomass resources production and biological secondary raw materials from rural/urban/industrial activities. Industrial bio-based systems do not include food/feed, biofuels, bioenergy and cultural/recreation sectors. However, relevant initiatives in the field of assessment and certification of environmental sustainability of biological resources arising from EU policies in the bioeconomy sectors should be taken into account. Aspects of trade of biological resources within the EU and at global level should be part of the analysis.
2. Collect data and figures on volumes of biological resources identified in global trade flows and imports into the EU and their geographic distribution. The data collection should be based on existing and consolidated statistics and market databases.
3. Improve existing and/or develop new methodology for the assessment of the environmental impacts and trade-offs of biological resources in the scope addressing, but not limiting to, the following environmental categories: i) GHG emissions/savings and carbon footprint; ii) emissions from nitrogen and phosphorous based fertilisers; iii) land use and land use change and its related impact on land carbon sink capacity; iv) marine space use and marine space use change; v) water use; vi) biodiversity and ecosystem services; vii) energy consumption, viii) any other aspects of air/water/soil environmental quality. Assessments should consider the life cycle perspective and relevant regulatory requirements in terms of trade (across and within the EU), to the extent possible. Trade-offs and synergies with food production, nature-based solution to protect biodiversity or other resources use and ecosystem services (e.g. recreation, urban creep) should be included in the assessment. (etc p.320 – work programme)