Brussels, 12/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a letter sent to the European Commission today, COPA-COGECA attacked EU Commission plans aimed to impose indirect land use change (ILUC) factors and a 5% limit on the use of crop-based biofuels. COPA-COGECA warn against this about-turn, saying it is totally irresponsible and would threaten the supply of animal feed, employment and green growth in the EU's rural areas. The Commission is to adopt its proposals on 17 October.
COPA-COGECA affirms that it is absolutely unacceptable to use the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) report, which has not been peer reviewed, as a basis to introduce ILUC factors. Due to critical data errors and important methodical problems, the model used for the report is not suitable for precisely estimating the extent of land use change and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. For example, the report does not take into account 410 million hectares, and the protection measures stipulated in Directive 2009/28 such as bans on land use change are not taken into account.
COPA-COGECA rejects a 5% cap on biofuels from food and feed crops. The limitation on biofuels from food crops also puts at risk the EU improvement in self-sufficiency on proteins to feed animals. This is because only part of the oilseed, cereals and sugar beet crop used to produce biofuels are actually converted into energy. The majority stays in the feed sector with protein-rich by-products from biofuel production helping the EU to reduce its heavy dependence on imported animal feed. Thanks to biofuel production, the EU rapeseed area has increased since 2000 from around 2 million hectares to 6 million in the EU27. The plans also threaten jobs in rural areas. The European biofuels industry has made investments that amount to €14 billion and is estimated to provide direct jobs to 100,000 European citizens.
In the run-up to release of the proposal, COPA-COGECA Secretary General Pekka Pesonen stressed: “Biofuels offer many advantages in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy dependency, providing employment in EU rural areas. And they can be produced in the EU in a sustainable way, without being responsible for land-use changes in non-EU countries. Increased biofuel production in the EU also relieves land pressures in non-EU countries to produce soy bean and helps to combat deforestation of tropical rainforests. Today, biofuels are part of the bio-economy in rural areas. The Commission's plans are therefore totally inconsistent and irresponsible, especially in the current economic crisis, and must be revised”.