Brussels, 07/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - The 27 EU member states are struggling to agree on the proposal to limit to 5% the rate of first generation biofuel content in transport.
Meeting in Luxembourg on 7 June, the European energy ministers noted a report by the Irish Presidency of the EU Council on the progress of work relating to the proposal for a directive on indirect land use change (ILUC), put forward by the Commission in October to strengthen requirements relating to carbon emissions linked to the production of biofuels and to cap first generation biofuels from agricultural crops. A draft text that is to amend Directive 2009/28/EC on renewables and Directive 1998/70/EC on the quality of petrol (see EUROPE 10712), which respectively frame the promotion and use of biofuels in the EU by fixing a 10% share of renewable energies in energy consumption in the transport sector by 2020, and the quality of fuels by fixing a 6% reduction objective in CO2 emissions by 2020 for fuels used in transport.
In its report, the Presidency notes that the Council is struggling to find a common position on this complex text, the flagship proposal of which is to limit first generation biofuels to 5% when produced from food crops, in the target of 10% renewables in the EU transport sector by 2020.
Generally speaking, member states support the aim of combating the global emergence of indirect land use change resulting from the production of biofuels that compete with human food and animal feed. Nonetheless, many delegations are concerned by a change in policy that could create uncertainty for investors, compromise investment already made and make it more costly and difficult to meet the EU objectives with regard to renewables.
There being no majority among the member states on the flagship proposal of the 5% cap at the ministerial discussions at the Energy Council or the Environment Council in February and March, the Irish Presidency proposed various different scenarios, scenarios that were far from convincing the capitals. These were to: - limit only the rate of biodiesel incorporation at 5%; raise the cap of 5% but to a level below that expected if nothing is done; - and limit first generation biofuels at the level of 2011 consumption in each member state. Finally, the Presidency has tabled a compromise proposal consisting of not limiting first generation biofuels but of imposing an incorporation rate of 2% for second generation biofuels, or “advanced” biofuels, produced from vegetable waste. In order to achieve that objective, member states would have the possibility to give cellulosic biofuels, produced from leaves and straw, double weighting. For biofuels from animal fat and waste oil, double counting is only possible beyond the 2% objective.
The Presidency states that, although this approach has been best received, the proposal does not have unanimous support as the delegations consider that the current technologies are not mature enough to ensure market supplies at a competitive price. Nonetheless, the other aspects of the proposal are less problematical for the capitals. The statement of greenhouse gas emissions linked to ILUC without this being taken into account initially in the carbon results of biofuels, seems to be accepted by most delegations. The Commission, moreover, suggests that the level of greenhouse gas reduction demanded for biofuels compared to their fossil fuel equivalent should be raised to 60% compared to the 35% in the current legislation for installations that became operational after final adoption of the text. For factories already up and running, the 35% reduction will be standard until end 2017 when it will be raised to 50%. Member states, the Presidency says, will be more open to such a proposal.
The European Parliament is due, for its part, to vote on the text this autumn on the basis of the report prepared by Corinne Lepage (ALDE, France). (EH/transl.jl)