The development of bioeconomy projects does not depend solely on technology, financing or entrepreneurial capacity. Their feasibility is also strongly shaped by the legal and urban-planning framework, particularly in relation to land use and zoning.
In this context, the recent amendment to Article 48 bis of the Catalan Urban Planning Law, introduced through Law 11/2025 of 29 December on housing and urban-planning measures, represents a relevant step forward for bioeconomy and circular-economy projects in Catalonia.
This legal update creates more favourable conditions for the deployment of initiatives that, until now, have often faced significant barriers at the urban-planning stage.
A targeted legal amendment with practical implications
The revised wording of Article 48 bis strengthens the legal regime governing the authorisation of activities in non-developable land when these are justified by public interest or strategic relevance. It provides greater clarity on the criteria that public authorities may apply when assessing such projects.
In practical terms, the amendment facilitates the urban-planning assessment of projects that:
- are linked to the management, transformation or valorisation of biological resources or by-products,
- require proximity to the resource source in order to be technically, environmentally or economically viable,
- contribute to climate neutrality, circular-economy objectives or renewable energy generation,
- cannot be efficiently located in conventional urban or industrial land.
While the amendment does not remove existing planning requirements, it reinforces the recognition of the specific nature of these types of infrastructures and provides a more suitable legal basis for their evaluation by planning authorities
Why this matters for the bioeconomy
Bioeconomy projects are, by nature, closely connected to territory. Their location is often dictated by resource availability, logistics, environmental considerations and existing value chains. This territorial logic has frequently conflicted with urban-planning frameworks primarily designed for traditional industrial uses.
The amendment to Article 48 bis helps to bridge this gap, offering a regulatory framework that is better aligned with the operational realities of projects such as:
- biomass and by-product valorisation plants,
- bioenergy and biogas installations,
- pilot, demonstration or intermediate-scale facilities,
- shared infrastructures for the treatment and transformation of biological resources.
As a result, project developers may benefit from greater legal certainty at early development stages and improved capacity to plan investments and implementation timelines.
A more enabling framework, with continued requirements
It is important to underline that the amended article does not imply automatic approval nor a simplification of administrative procedures. Projects must still demonstrate:
- robust technical definition,
- a clear justification of public interest or strategic relevance,
- consistency with territorial and sectoral planning instruments,
- and sound management of the applicable administrative processes.
However, the revised legal framework provides more appropriate conditions for assessing bioeconomy projects in line with regional sustainability and territorial-development objectives.
The importance of specialised support
From BioBoost’s perspective, this legal amendment represents a concrete opportunity to facilitate the deployment of strategic bioeconomy projects in Catalonia — provided that it is accompanied by a well-informed interpretation of the regulatory framework and a coherent project-development strategy.
Aligning urban-planning considerations with business models and territorial impact is increasingly critical to transforming promising bioeconomy initiatives into viable, implementable projects.
📄 Text legal de referència
Llei 11/2025, de 29 de desembre, de mesures en matèria d’habitatge i urbanisme