MEP calls for binding biofuel standards

The MEP responsible for guiding a fuel quality proposal through Parliament has said that legally binding standards must be added to the directive to prevent investment in environmentally harmful biofuels.

Dutch Socialist Dorette Corbey wants to amend the Commission’s proposal to revise the fuel quality directive (FQD), which sets new standards for transport fuels to reduce their contribution to climate change and air pollution.

The revision is expected to mean a substantial increase in the use of plant-based biofuels, which currently make up just over 1% of the EU market.

But the addition of environmental standards to the fuel quality directive, which was drawn up by the Commission’s environment department, would clash with Commission plans to include sustainability criteria in a separate biofuels directive, to be published on 5 December, which is being drawn up by the Commission’s transport and energy department (DG Tren).

The fuel quality proposal would oblige fuel producers to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from their products by 10% from 2010-20.

Corbey said: "It would have been better if the Commission had first of all drawn up sustainability criteria and then the carbon dioxide target." Her report is to be discussed in the environment committee on 11 September. The MEP said she was "quite confident" the idea would win enough support to be adopted by a full sitting of MEPs.

The FQD was proposed in January. Two months later national governments agreed to aim for a target that biofuels should make up 10% of the fuel market by 2020.

Environmental groups and many politicians have expressed concern that, without binding sustainability standards, an increased use of biofuels could lead to the destruction of large sections of countryside and increases in food prices. Many have also questioned the CO2 benefits of biofuels, measured over their whole production cycle.

Corbey’s amendment says that biofuels should only be produced away from nature sites and protected areas, and with the consent of the local community. Crop producers would also have to avoid deforestation and water shortages, as well as reporting the effect on food prices.

Corbey said that any criteria developed for the FQD could eventually be replaced by the biofuels directive’s sustainability criteria. "It is very important the criteria are there," she said. "It is not so important exactly where, as long as they are legally binding and not just a code of conduct."

But drawing up criteria under the FQD would give MEPs and not the Commission the initiative in shaping EU-wide biofuel standards.

DG Tren has been working on drafting criteria since the start of the year.

A DG Tren official said that Corbey’s proposal was just one of many interesting additions to the debate on sustainability criteria.

An official from the environment department said it was in favour of the DG Tren developing sustainability criteria. "It makes more sense to have general sustainability criteria, rather than adding something to each piece of legislation," she said. "The logical place to develop these is at the top: with the biofuels directive."

The MEP responsible for guiding a fuel quality proposal through Parliament has said that legally binding standards must be added to the directive to prevent investment in environmentally harmful biofuels.