22/06/2018 (Agence Europe) – The National Association of Small Holders (NASH) in Malaysia has welcomed the rejection, in the political agreement of 13 June between the EU Council and European Parliament on the draft revised directive on renewable energy, of the ban on biofuels based on palm oil. Parliament had initially called for this ban for 2021. The proposed agreement provides for the gradual elimination, from 2023, of high emission biofuels – palm oil and soybean oil being particularly targeted. "Palm oil will continue to flow into Europe until 2030, maybe even beyond that", NASH states, noting that "vague formulations" like "gradual elimination" contain neither detail, nor timetable, nor figures or objectives (except for 2030). The European Commission is indeed due to propose a methodology by 2019, through a delegated act, to make this gradual elimination operational – in particular, to make it compatible with WTO rules. (EH)