On 16 December, MEP Nils Torvalds (Renew Europe, Finland) delivered his draft opinion concerning the revision of the EU directive (2018/2001) on renewable energy (RED II) with a view to contribute to the work of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), which is responsible for the content in this matter.
With regard to the European Commission’s proposal (see EUROPE 12762/8), the MEP recommends adding an obligation under which each Member State would be expected to submit a “National Bioenergy Plan”.
This plan is expected to assess the needs and supply of forest biomass available for energy purposes, the compatibility of forest biomass used for energy purposes with the indicative trajectory for the contribution of different categories of energy to the national targets set out in the regulation (2018/841) on land use and forestry (LULUCF Regulation), and the impacts of the forest biomass used for energy purposes trajectory on biodiversity and soil.
The European Commission would be responsible for assessing these national plans, making observations, and, if necessary, asking a Member State to revise its plan before the institution approves them by means of an implementing decision.
Furthermore, Mr Torvalds proposes that if a Member State does not create a National Bioenergy Plan, it will not be able to grant new [financial] support to bioenergy installations.
The Finn also advocates drawing a distinction between primary and secondary forest biomass and suggests eliminating certain provisions on the grounds that overly detailed legislation “increases the risk [that it will become] quickly outdated and does not sufficiently take into account the [specific national] circumstances”.
In his opinion, no legislative provisions should, for example, be introduced on cascading use (the principle that consists of aiming to use biomass efficiently by prioritising its material use over its energy use), since that “can inhibit innovations and optimal use of wood”.
See the draft opinion: https://bit.ly/3Eml1fk (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)