Biofuels
EU Ombudsman corners Commission after denial to unveil used cooking oil data
The European Commission has until February 2022 to comply with the EU Ombudsman’s recommendation to provide data related to the origins of imported Used Cooking Oil (UCO) biofuel in the EU, amid concerns over alleged fraud cases.
EU’s strict green criteria for biofuels will hinder supply, MEPs warn
The EU’s "restrictive" approach to biofuels sustainability criteria will harm producers’ ability to meet increased demand for green fuels coming from the transport sector, says Henna Virkkunen, a Finnish lawmaker in the European Parliament.
Greening measures will add around 8% to airline costs, EU estimates
Environmental regulations aimed at cutting the carbon footprint of aviation will increase the cost of flying by around 8% by 2050, according to the European Commission.
EU Commission, industry clash over green jet fuel mandate
The European Commission has strongly denied accusations that its proposed mandate to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions by diverting waste-based biofuels from the road sector.
Refueling aviation: The role and types of sustainable aviation fuels
Does such a policy go against the Commission’s own technology neutrality principle? Could it harm climate mitigation efforts and also hamper the development of more scalable technologies that could ensure the long term decarbonisation of the aviation industry?
Sustainable aviation fuels
To achieve the EU’s aim of a 90% drop in transport emissions by 2050, the European Commission has proposed a range of measures, including scrapping the tax-free status of kerosene, and phasing out free CO2 permits handed out to airlines...
EU biofuel reform plan risks undermining waste-based fuels: industry
The European Commission's proposal to halt advanced biofuels from being double-counted towards road transport energy targets would diminish the use of waste-based fuels in favour of cheaper crop-based biofuels, a leading industry organisation has told EURACTIV.
EU drops ‘accounting trick’ to boost green fuel in road transport
The biofuels industry has welcomed the European Commission's proposal to end the statistical inflation of waste-based biofuels in the EU's road transport energy mix, a practice they say camouflaged the use of fossil fuels.
EU energy tax plan seeks to end ‘hidden advantage’ for fossil fuels
A proposed new EU-wide fuel taxation system based on energy content rather than volume seeks to end incentives for petrol and diesel, aiming instead to support the uptake of green biofuels, renewable hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
EU green jet fuel proposal shuns crop-based biofuels, focuses on next generation
Proposed EU legislation aimed at cutting flight emissions by ramping up the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) has excluded the use of first-generation biofuels, arguing they bring "limited environmental benefits".
Narrow focus on electrifying vehicles will harm climate efforts, says fuels industry
Favouring electrification while ignoring low-carbon liquid fuels will hinder the bloc's efforts to decarbonise road transport, a prominent industry body has said ahead of the release of the EU's climate law package.
LEAK: EU to propose aviation fuel tax in green policy push
The European Commission has drafted plans to set an EU-wide minimum tax rate for polluting aviation fuels, as it seeks to meet more ambitious targets to fight climate change, a document seen by Reuters shows.
Electrification push won’t green cars on the roads: fuel industry
EU policymakers’ focus on electric vehicles risks overlooking the need to decarbonise internal combustion engine (ICE) cars currently on EU roads, representatives from the European fuel and automotive industry have warned.
Fit for purpose? The role of renewable fuels on the road to 2030 and beyond
As part of its EU Green Deal legislative roadmap, the European Commission will propose sweeping new energy and climate legislation aimed at reducing emissions by 55% by 2030.
EU green jet fuel mandate will carve out market for big players, industry warns
An EU mandate for the use of animal fats and used cooking oils in sustainable aviation fuel is set to enrich large biofuel players such as Total and Neste, at the expense of most of the industry, the European Waste-to-Advanced Biofuels Association (EWABA) has warned.
Draft EU policy to cut shipping emissions condemned as ‘disaster’
A leaked draft of a key EU policy designed to cut carbon emissions in shipping, one of the world’s biggest polluters, has been described as an environmental disaster for “promoting” liquified natural gas, a fossil fuel, as an alternative to heavy oil. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Commission admits fossil fuel share ‘likely’ higher in transport without multipliers
Without multipliers - a statistical methodology used to encourage the uptake of renewable energy in transport, primarily in electric cars - the share of fossil fuels in transport is “likely” to be higher than the official figures published by Eurostat, a European Commission source told EURACTIV.
Will RED III fuel a revolution for renewable energy in road transport?
As part of its ambitious Green Deal roadmap, the European Commission is set to unveil a new package of energy and climate legislation on Bastille Day, 14 July – potentially kicking off a revolution in EU road transport policy. Emmanuel...
Biofuel makers protest against EU’s green investment taxonomy rules
Biofuels made from food-and-feed crops do not meet the EU’s green taxonomy criteria, according to a European Commission proposal, a move biofuel makers said will hamstring Europe's ability to meet green transport goals.
Five EU member states demand stricter oversight of biofuels
Five EU countries have demanded the European Commission establish a framework for stricter supervision of the use of biofuels in the bloc in the wake of a number of cases of fraud relating the sale of used cooking oil of unsustainable origin as transport fuel.
Ethanol boss: electric vehicles are not the future, but part of it
Electric vehicles are not the only future option for the decarbonisation of Europe’s transport sector, but all available sustainable solution should be taken into account, Valérie Corre from the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE) told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
EU farmers chief: Commission is ‘ultra-orthodox’ on biofuels’ sustainability
The European Commission’s insistence on capping conventional biofuels is “ultra-orthodox” as it deprives farmers of a potential market outside the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) while simultaneously hindering agriculture’s environmental potential, the head of EU farmers’ association told EURACTIV in an interview.
Air France uses cooking oil to fly to Canada as green fuel debate rages
Air France-KLM flew a biofuel-powered Airbus A350 from Paris to Montreal on Tuesday (18 May), demonstrating the airline's readiness to adopt low-emissions fuel despite deep industry divisions over the pace of its adoption.
RED III: Europe’s reality check
Transport is responsible for 27% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU and several pieces of legislation have failed to bring about major changes. The EU executive has already admitted that by 2030, oil will still drive Europe’s cars....Supporters
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