Brussels, 08/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The draft directive proposed by the European Commission establishing calculation methods and reporting requirements on greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuels, pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC, has sailed through the Council evaluation. Without debate and with no ambiguity, the Council of the EU decided on Thursday 4 December to submit the text, which aims to help transport fuel suppliers in Europe comply with the requirement of reducing the carbon intensity of the fuels by 6% by 2020, to the European Parliament for scrutiny.
The proposal for a directive, subject to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny, will be deemed to have been adopted if the Parliament does not oppose it. MEPs on the environment committee have just recommended that the text be rejected by the Parliament, however, as they feel it is not strong enough. They feel it is unacceptable as the method proposed for calculating the carbon intensity of the various types of fuel would not provide an incentive for cleaner fuels and puts tar sands, which are extremely polluting, on an equal footing with conventional crude oil (see EUROPE 11211 and 11171). (AN)