The vote confirmed a cross-party and cross-national compromise tabled by Swedish MEP Anders Wijkman in the name of the EPP-ED Group, Dutch MEP Dorette Corbey in the name of the Socialist Group, Danish MEP Johannes Lebech in the name of ALDE, Marie Anne Isler Béguin (FR) and Claude Turmes (LU) in the name of the Greens/EFA, Italian Roberto Musacchio in the name of GUE/NGL and Dutch MEP Johannes Blokland in the name of IND/DEM.
It supports a target of "at least 4%" of "renewable sources" in road transport fuels by 2015, "out of which at least 20% is met by the use of electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources, biogas or transport fuels from ligno-cellulosic biomass and algae".
Major policy shift
Such a target would in fact be even lower than the 5.75% by 2010 goal set out in the EU's original 2003 Directive on the promotion of biofuels, representing a clear attempt to distance the bloc from what has become a somewhat embarrassing commitment to promoting increased biofuel production after numerous studies have shown them to be responsible for intolerable rises in food prices, mass deforestation and water shortages.
The move to include non-biofuel sources into the target also highlights this shift, echoing statements by European energy and environment ministers last Friday (EurActiv 07/07/08).
Commission holds its corner
But the Commission's energy spokesman Ferran Tarradellas told journalists not to attach too much importance to the Environment Committee's opinion, insisting it "is just one of the EP committees giving an opinion on this" and stressing that "five other committees have voted on the matter [and] all supported the figure of 10%". The five are the Regional Affairs, Agriculture, Transport, Economic Affairs and International Trade committees, although the latter voted to defer the 10% target to 2025.
However, with 36 votes in favour, none against, and just eight abstentions, the Environment Committee's report looks to have fairly strong support. What's more, in an 8 July press release, the Parliament stressed that the lead committee on the issue – the Energy and Industry committee – will vote in September "taking into account (and, in some cases, taking on board) amendments adopted by the Environment Committee".
Tough sustainability criteria
The Environment Committee report also outlines a number of environmental and social sustainability criteria – generally tougher than those outlined by the Commission.
As member states struggle to achieve an agreement on core criteria for biofuels, the text agreed by MEPs could serve as a basis for a compromise, although it is much stronger than standards eyed by the Commission and a number of governments. Parliamentarians have opted for a two-stage approach, under which biofuels that fail to deliver life-cycle CO2 savings of at least 45% compared to fossil fuels would be banned from the start, while those delivering less than 60% savings would be excluded as of 2015.
UK backing down
The British Government also announced plans on Monday (7 July) to slow the introduction of biofuels until more evidence is gathered on their impact on land use, climate change and food prices. The announcement was based on a report it had commissioned from Ed Gallagher, the chair of the Renewable Fuels Agency.
"The Gallagher report [...] concludes that the introduction of biofuels should be slowed until policies are in place to direct biofuel production onto marginal or idle land," UK Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly told Parliament, adding that the aim was for the government to "amend but not abandon its biofuel policy". UK law currently requires 2.5% of road transport fuel to stem from renewable sources, rising to 5% in 2010/11, but the Gallagher report recommends the 5% target be delayed to 2013/14.
