Brussels, 20/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - Taking part in the first world conference on biofuels in Sao Paulo on Wednesday 19 November, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs gave assurances that the Community directive on promoting and using renewable energy sources would not act as an non-customs obstacle to biofuels from outside the EU, and in particular Brazilian ethanol. “When the directive was proposed, we expected it to be questioned at the WTO, and the idea was to avoid friction in international trade,” he said, adding that his staff had consulted Brazilian specialists. Piebalgs pointed out that the target of a 10% share of EU fuel consumption for renewables by 2020 provided trade partners, rather, with an opportunity to export their biofuels to the EU. The Union of Sugar Cane Industries of Brazil (UNICA) said the European tax of 19 euro cents per litre on Brazilian ethanol was far higher than the $0.51 per gallon imposed on the United States. According to UNICA, Sweden is one of the few European countries to facilitate the import of Brazilian ethanol. Lastly, producer countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Malawi, Malaysia, Mozambique and Sierra Leone) have informed the EU that they could refer some restrictive provisions in the renewables directive to the WTO and called for dialogue with Europe on sustainability criteria. (E.H./transl.rt)