EU to discuss mandatory biofuel targets

The European commission will debate setting mandatory targets for member states in a bid to boost EU biofuel production.

Unveiling an ambitious new biofuels strategy on Wednesday, EU agriculture chief, Mariann Fischer Boel said Brussels would consider the question of mandatory targets as part of a revision of the EU’s underperforming biofuels directive.

“The commission will discuss mandatory targets later this year,” said Fischer Boel.

The Danish commissioner is thought to be keen on mandatory targets as a stimulant for the biofuels industry, which has recently bounced back onto the EU’s radar screen in the wake of recent oil and gas scares.

And she warned earlier this week that attention will be paid to the level of [member states’] ambition.”

Fischer Boel said EU biofuel production was moving in the right direction but not quickly enough.

“We are far from the targets set in the 2003 biofuels directive of two per cent biofuel content by 2005 and 5.75 per cent by 2010.”

“The fact is that today we are only able to deliver 1.4 per cent.” 

And the commissioner’s strategy sets out proposals for a regulated, market based approach to boost production, complimenting the aims of last December’s EU action plan for biomass.

Wednesday’s strategy has three key objectives, to promote biofuels at home and in the developing world, to prepare the ground for large scale production, especially for so called ‘second generation’ fuels, and to support biofuel production in the developing world.

“It is clear that we need to stimulate the demand for biofuels,” said Fischer Boel who added that member states should consider granting tax incentives in favour of the industry, by utilising the resources of the EU’s energy taxation directive.

“We need to invest in second generation biofuels.  If we don’t strike now we will miss the boat.”

Sharing the platform with the Danish commissioner EU development chief Louis Michel welcomed the potential benefits of the strategy to the developing world.

“Many developing countries are naturally well placed for the production of biofuel feedstocks, particularly those traditionally strong in sugar production,” said Michel.

“The expanding EU market for biofuels will provide them with new export possibilities.”

Production of biofuels in the EU amounted to 2.4m tonnes in 2004 – 0.5m tonnes of bioethanol and 1.9m tonnes of biodiesel.

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