EU biofuels policy 'inefficient' - ITF

08 January 2008 11:08  [Source: ICIS news]

PARIS (ICIS news)--The International Transport Forum (ITF) on Monday criticised the EU's policy of subsidising first-generation biofuels as “inefficient”.

 

Speaking at the launch of an online debate on biofuels, ITF secretary-general Jack Short called for more discussion about whether the subsidies could be better targeted elsewhere.

 

"Billions of euros for subsidies, rising food prices, use of land, fertilizers and water are all critical issues for discussion," he said.

 

The online debate will also look at issues such as volume-based targets for biofuels and which biofuels hold the most promise for the transport sector.

 

The first contribution to the debate, which will also form the basis of the ITF’s annual meeting in Germany in May, came from Ron Steenblik, director of research at the International Institute for Sustainable Development in Geneva.

 

He criticised volume targets for biofuel production as “the most blunt instruments” that countries could have devised to promote biofuel use.

 

Bookmark Simon Robinson's Big Biofuels Blog for some independent thinking on biofuels

 

By Chris Jones
+44 20 8652 3214

 

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