Brussels, 21/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - “Let us not forget that European agriculture's main role is to produce food for a growing population. The increasing demand for biomass for energy and industry must never be allowed to compromise that role.” That was European Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloº' summation of the dominant feeling during the debate among European agriculture ministers on Tuesday 20 September on the use of biomass from agriculture as a source of bio-energy.
Most of the delegations at the meeting (France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain and others) noted that the principal function of agriculture is to provide food for European citizens. No specific agricultural policy on biomass must be to the detriment of the objective of ensuring food security. For that reason, most delegations, in particular the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Estonia, Slovakia, argued that biomass policy has to focus on better use of agriculture and agri-food industry by-products and residue.
The Polish Presidency asked whether climatic and economic considerations gave sufficient cause for increasing amounts of biomass for generating energy to be brought from a distance, even imported from outside the EU. Most countries, with Italy and France being most vociferous, felt that that would not be desirable. The United Kingdom argued for an analysis of the carbon cost of transport and import.
Many member states, including Germany and France, expressed the view that the common agricultural policy (CAP), in its rural development pillar, already has measures for taking account of the inclusion of EU climate objectives in agriculture. Some delegations, such as Italy and Greece, felt that further incentives were needed for biomass development.
The EU is committed to increasing the percentage of renewable energy to 20% within its energy mix by 2020. Bio-energy remains the main source of renewable energy and the 20% target will not be achieved without a joint contribution from agriculture and forestry. Biomass from agriculture and forestry play an important role in the shift towards a low carbon economy and the development of the bio-economy.
The Commission says that bio-energy and renewable energy in general offer opportunities for farmers to diversify their sources of income. The CAP supports renewable energy through rural development measures. In addition, the reform of the CAP after 2013 will put the emphasis on climate protection and making use of by-products, the Commission says.
Natural conditions and resources vary widely from one member state to another. European renewable energy legislation allows each member state to choose the resources it will use and the ways it will develop its renewable energy systems. A “one-size-fits-all” approach is not, then, appropriate to current Community renewable energy policy, the Commission believes.
Consideration must be given, as the Presidency suggests, to the sustainability of biomass
and its use, including transporting large quantities of biomass over long distances. The renewable energy directive established strict sustainability criteria for liquid biofuels, and the Commission is working on criteria for solid biomass. If these criteria are put in place, they must also be relevant for imported biomass.
Research. The commissioner added that the agricultural sector's capacity for innovation needed to be boosted by new, ambitious instruments. The Commission has decided to increase research in the agricultural sector. It is proposing to allocate €4.5 billion for research and innovation in food security, the bio-economy and sustainable agriculture. This will be for basic agricultural research, economic research against a background of uncertainty and volatility, research on adaptation to and limitation of climate change, and research on developing the bio-economy (by diversifying biomass use, new openings may be created for the agricultural sector). (LC/transl.rt)