From marginal renewable to strategic asset: Tracing the evolution of EU policies on biogas and biomethane

In recent decades, the production and use of biogas and biomethane have increased in many European countries. However, systematic analysis of how EU policies on biogas and biomethane have evolved over time remains limited. This paper addresses this gap by analysing EU policy documents across multiple policy domains. The findings show that the EU recognised the value of biogas and by-products from anaerobic digestion as early as the 1980s, particularly in relation to rural development and agricultural systems. Over time, policy attention has expanded significantly, especially since 2020, with biomethane increasingly positioned in relation to energy security and decarbonisation goals. However, increasing policy attention has not been accompanied by fully coordinated development pathways. While recent policies emphasise the strategic role of biomethane, this reveals a gap between policy ambitions and the mobilisation of sustainable feedstock, which is essential for long-term development. These findings point to the importance of improving policy coherence and coordination across policy domains and governance levels to support the effective development of biogas and biomethane systems in the EU. • A systematic overview of EU policies on biogas and biomethane over four decades. • Expansion of the role of biogas and biomethane across multiple policy domains. • Growing importance of biomethane in response to recent crises. • A gap between biomethane production targets and feedstock mobilisation. • Governance challenges in policy consistency and coordination.