Making the Right Choices for EU Biofuels Policy

Key MEPs and European Commission representatives attended an EFOA lunch debate organised at the European Parliament on 19 June 2013. The event was hosted by MEP Julie Girling, ECR Shadow Rapporteur on the ILUC dossier for the Environment Committee (ENVI), and co-hosted by MEP Britta Thomsen, S&D Shadow Rapporteur for the Industry and Energy Committee (ITRE).

Through the Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) proposal, which amends the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), the European Union is currently looking for ways to make Europe more climate-friendly by strengthening the policy framework on advanced biofuels and greenhouse gas savings. “Making the right choices on biofuels quality is the only way forward to target climate friendly solutions” says EFOA Chairman Bruno Héry. “Fuel ethers are advanced biofuels that provide energy for road transport with real improvements in air quality and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Making the right choices on the quality of biofuels also implies looking at the total CO2 savings of each biofuel and their actual energy contribution.”

In such a polarised and complex legislative dossier, it is important to refocus the debate on scientific elements. Each biofuel must be evaluated on its own merits. Today, European legislation is incomplete as it does not address the full benefits of biofuels.  To be comprehensive and consistent, it needs to capture the full CO2 performance over the entire lifecycle of the fuel (from field- or well-to-wheel), and take due account of each biofuel’s specific “bio energy” content. 

EFOA Chairman Bruno Héry added that these regulatory changes to the legislation can be accomplished with no costs, guaranteeing fair treatment between biofuels. “It is crucial to decide now in a transparent manner, rather than leaving it to comitology,” said Mr Héry.