Towards a comprehensive and innovative EU policy for biofuels

The EU has agreed that in 2020 the percentage of
renewable transport fuel s including biofuels should be at 10%. Conditions were attached that second generation biofuels would become available commercially and biofuels would be produced in an environmentally sustainable way.

This overview paper accompanies an EU policy seminar that explores recent developments in the EU’s policy on biofuels, and will focus in particular on innovation and
trade aspects concerning EU policy on biofuels.

It aims to identify what we can learn from this policy in order to make the transition to a biobased economy. Bringing together senior officials of EU member states, international organisations, the private sector, NGOs and
academic experts, the seminar aims to identify what (new) policies could be envisaged to stimulate the production and use of biomass, whilst contributing to the EU’s economic
recovery and energy security, and whilst contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions,doing no harm to the environment and food availability in the EU and abroad.