Brussels, 13/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The new US rules on biofuels, presented by the Obama administration on 5 May, aims to make maize-based ethanol more effective, by reducing greenhouse gas emissions during its production, and to develop the production of 2nd generation biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and seaweed biodiesel. By presidential decree, Head of Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Lisa Jackson, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak and Head of the Energy Department Steve Chu called for cooperation within a new working group responsible for identifying policies which make biofuels that are better for the environment, first generation biofuels produced on the basis of maize and soya being accused of not being sufficiently effective and of reducing the land surface used for food, as well as measures for developing 2nd general biofuels and increasing the marketing of green cars or ethanol fuel cars. Barack Obama has also decided to earmark nearly $790 million in favour of R&D on new generation biofuels. In parallel, the draft rules prepared by the EPA (environmental protection administration) confirms the timetable of the programme signed in 2007 by former President George W. Bush, which provides for the mixture of 36 billion gallons of biofuels per year in petrol by 2022 and that of 15 billion gallons of ethanol based on maize and cereals by 2015. The project also confirms the objective, by 2022, of each year incorporating into petrol 16 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol from switchgrass or agricultural waste, which is promising in terms of sustainability but not yet profitable enough to be marketed. Finally, the draft aims to make bio-refineries producing ethanol use cleaner energy, such as biomass. (E.H./transl.jl)