Europe failure to agree biofuels target means ongoing uncertainty over policy

European energy ministers have rejected a political deal to amend EU biofuels policy limiting the use of food-based biofuels to 7% of transport fuel. The failure to find a compromise means that biofuels policy will remain uncertain until after the 2014 European elections. 

 

The deal would have also mandated the reporting of biofuel emissions from indirect land-use change (ILUC) with a wide range of values included for ILUC factors.

 

The blocking minority combined member states who are opposed to any restrictions such as Poland and Hungary with member states who said the compromise was too watered-down, such as Denmark and the Netherlands. The file will now be handed to the incoming Greek presidency. However because the current European Parliament term will end in April, the Council is unlikely to revisit the issue until after the new Parliament comes in during the second half of 2014. 

 

Critics of current EU biofuel policy say it is driving land-grabs in the developing world and diverting food crops to fuel use. Because of changes in land use, and resulting deforestation, critics say that first-generation biofuel may be causing more CO2 to be released into the atmosphere than is being saved through its use as a fuel. 

 

Some European ministers and others are calling for so called 'second-generation' biofuels that are not derived from food crops to be clearly defined and incentivised in EU policy instead.