MEPs vote to slash EU grain-based biofuels target

11 September 2008 11:42  [Source: ICIS news]

PARIS (ICIS news)--Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted on Thursday to significantly decrease the use of biofuels in transport fuel.

 

The European Parliament’s industry committee backed the European Commission’s proposal that 10% of transport fuel in the EU should come from renewable sources by 2015.

 

However, it said that at least 40% of this target should be met with electricity and hydrogen from renewable sources or second generation biofuels.

 

This would mean that no more than 6% of transport fuel would come from grain-based biofuels.

 

“The vote by the European Parliament recognises the serious problems associated with the large scale use of biofuels,” said Friends of the Earth (FOE) Europe campaigner Adrian Bebb.

 

“This is a welcome step in the right direction but much still needs to be done,” he added. “Using crops to feed cars is a false solution to our climate problems and could lead to irreversible loss of wildlife and misery for millions of people in the South.”

The committee's decision is likely to influence the Parliament's position during negotiations with EU ministers later this year or in early 2009 to draw up final legislation on biofuels.

 

Second generation biofuels are more sustainable compared with first generation, using biomass comprised of residual non-food parts of current crops.

 

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

By: Philippa Jones
+44 20 8652 3214

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