Brussels, 20/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 20 February, despite differences on the balance between internal production and imports, EU Agriculture Ministers came out in favour of the biomass action plan and the EU strategy for biofuels. During the evening, the Council adopted Austrian Presidency conclusions on the current state of play on this dossier. In general, the Council felt that the bioenergy sources would have to make a very great contribution to reach the objectives of the biomass plan (production of 12% of energy needs from renewable sources by 2010) and came out in favour of maintaining the 5.75% market target for biofuels in 2010 (still quite an ambitious target). Several Member States, including France, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia, asked that the move to bioenergies should not have any negative effects on potential internal production. Some of these countries advocated customs duties to avoid massive low-cost imports. Others, like the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia and Slovakia, argued for a balanced approach respecting the interests of EU producers as well as commitments taken towards third countries at the WTO. New Member States asked to be able to benefit from the current allowance for energy crops (45 euro per hectare up to 1.5 million hectares) reserved to the fifteen old Members. The new Member States and some old States - Italy, Belgium Luxemburg and Greece notably - advocated an increase in this aid. Various delegations insisted on the need to make research into second generation biofuels the priority.