Brussels, 05/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - After five separate meetings of the European Commission/Council/European Parliament on the renewables directive (part of the energy and climate package), agreement has almost been reached on how to achieve the binding EU target of renewables making up 20% of energy supplies by 2020. Each Member State has to meet its own national target and provide details of an action plan with compulsory investment in green energy. EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs told the EP on Thursday 4 December 2008 that an agreement was imminent. On Wednesday night into Thursday morning, negotiators managed to agree on all outstanding issues apart from one point where Italy is holding out. The directive foresees that several countries can join forces on common green infrastructure projects (investment by Belgium in a wind farm in Germany to allow it to send back to Belgium green energy capacity to help it meet its national target, for example), Italy is demanding a reassessment of this cooperation mechanism in 2014, which the EP does not accept. The European Parliament's rapporteur, Claude Turmes (Greens, Luxembourg) said that a review in such a short time frame would run the risk of putting off investor. He feared that the Member States would take advantage of it to water down their national targets. Turmes expressed confidence on Thursday, however, that Italy would lift its reservation. The controversial issue of the 10% target for renewable energy in transport has been settled, after months of tough talks to ensure strict rules for the sustainable use of biofuels. Turmes managed to win the promise of a way of calculating the indirect environmental impact in the future of converting farmland to grow biofuels instead of crops for food, to ensure that this is taken into account when calculating the environmental characteristics of biofuels on the market. The Commission is due to publish a report on this in December 2010. The EP called for at least 40% of renewables in transport combing from green electricity, hydrogen or second generation biofuels but this was rejected, although the Member States will be encouraged to develop green cars through a bonus in the 10% calculation. A new aspect introduced by France, the use of renewable energy by rail transport, may be included in the 10% target calculations. Member States will not be penalised, despite the wishes of the EP, if they fail to meet their renewables targets. (E.H. trans fl)