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EU lays down an objective of 10% for green fuels

http://www.euractiv.com/fr/transport/accord-renouvelables-ue-fixe-objectif-10-combustibles-verts/article-177842

Translation to english:
http://w4.systranlinks.com/trans?lp=fr_en&urltext=http%3A//www.euractiv.com/fr/transport/accord-renouvelables-ue-fixe-objectif-10-combustibles-verts/article-177842%3F_xsl%3DArticle.4systran


Published: Friday December 5, 2008
Agreement on the renewable ones: the EU lays down an objective of 10% for green fuels [ FR ]
Summary:
The EU concluded an agreement aiming at satisfying 10 % of its requirements out of fuel in the transport sector by using renewable sources, in particular biocarburants, hydrogen and green electricity. This measurement, which was taken within the framework of the negotiations in progress on the package climate and energy, represents a step behind compared to the initial objective according to which 10% of the fuels of the EU used for transport were to come only from the biocarburants.

Files in relation

HAVE lawmakers Split over biofuels
Biofuels for transport
HAVE faces from overseas biofuel-makers presses
Context:
January 23, 2008, in a context of concerns growing as for the prices of oil, the energy security and the climatic change, the Commission presented proposals aiming at carrying to 10 % from here 2020 the use of biocarburants in the fuels intended for transport. But thereafter, of fears related on the rise of the food prices and the loss of grounds diverted with the profit of the production of biocarburant as well as debatable values of reduction of CO2 calls with the reduction of the objective caused, even with its pure and simple refusal.

Although it confirmed the objective of 10 % ' here at 2020, the commission of the Industry and the energy of the European Parliament asked that at least 40 % of this objective be covered by biocarburants of second generation which are not used for the human consumption nor animal or by vehicles rolling to green electricity and hydrogen. Eurodéputés also supported strict criteria of durability, in particular the obligation for the biocarburants to offer at least 45 % of CO2 emissions in less than the fossil fuels (EurActiv 12/09/08).


Stakes:
Agreement from compromise on contribution from biocarburants to objective total from consumption from energies renewable, which provides that the EU answers 20 % of its needs for energy by the renewable ones from here 2020, was concluded in the night from December 3 during negotiations in camera between the representatives from the three principal European institutions.

The final compromise obliges the EU to guarantee that to the moment of the entry into force of the law, the biocarburants offer at least 35 % of economy as regards CO2 emissions in comparison of the fossil fuels, a figure which could pass to 45 % from here to 2013 and 50 % from here to 2017. After 2017, the objective could reach 60 % Before., the European Parliament had required that an immediate objective of 45 % be established (EurActiv 12/09/08).

Under-objectives for the biocarburants of first and second generation, required by eurodéputés but to which the Member States were strongly opposed, were abandoned. With the place, a total objective of 10 % for the biocarburants applies from now on not only to the biocarburants but also to all the renewable energies used in the transport sector, such as the electric vehicles supplied with renewable sources, which will contribute from now on to achieve the goal.

Until the any end of the negotiations, the European Parliament and the countries of the EU were divided on the question "of the criteria of durability" for the biocarburants and in particular on the question of knowing if it is necessary to include or not the effects on "the indirect assignment of the grounds" in the equation which makes it possible to calculate the total results of the biocarburants as regards CO2. Such indirect factors include the increase in the CO2 emissions because of the deforestation and the food raising of prices like result of the diversification of the grounds to produce biocarburants.

In an agreement of compromise, a reference juridically constraining to the indirect assignment of the grounds was removed. With the place, it was requested from the European Commission to present proposals to limit the indirect assignment of the grounds which results from the diversification of the grounds to produce biocarburants.

Positions:
Rapporteur and negotiator in the European Parliament, eurodéputé the Luxembourg ecologist Claude Turmes, indicated that the Parliament succeeded in reinforcing the "criterion of durability" by guaranteeing that the indirect assignment of the grounds is also taken into account in the future when the European Commission must present proposals in 2020 aiming at limiting the indirect change of assignment of the grounds.

We also succeeded in reinforcing the criterion intended to fight against the repercussions devastator of the biocarburants, indicated Mr. Turmes, stressing that the objective of 2020 applies from now on to all the renewable energies intended for transport. Thus, the electric vehicles (supplied with renewable sources) or the trains can be taken into account, it indicated. With the biocarburants which are not used for the human consumption nor animal, that would represent according to him more than four tenth of the objective of 10 %. What means that the contribution of these agrocarburants to the objective of 10 % is appreciably weaker, declared Mr. Turmes.

The EU agreed on the conditions aiming at a massive increase in the sales of biocarburants in Europe, but did not succeed in guaranteeing that savings in gas for purpose of greenhouse are carried out, deplored ONG Transport & Environment (T&E). According to the organization, the fundamental question of the indirect change of assignment of the grounds was deferred with any juridically constraining guarantee so that it is taken into account in the future.

The agreement on the biocarburants annoyed many organizations environmentalists, which declared that it harms the poor countries, and the efforts aiming at fighting against the climatic change to answer the specific interests of the farmers and the industry of the biocarburants. Without the criterion of durability of the indirect change of assignment of the grounds, the EU is likely to support the massive production of the biocarburants, with the centre and beyond Europe, which does not contribute at all to fight against the climatic change, ONG indicated.

Next stages:

8 déc. 2008 : the Council should conclude a political agreement on the project from the EU from policy as regards biocarburants.
16-17 déc. 2008 : discusses in first reading and vote on the file into plenary of the Parliament.



Links


European union
European Commission: Biofuels for Transport
http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/legislation/biofuels_en.htm

European Commission: Year HAVE Strategy for Biofuels
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/biomass/biofuel/index_en.htm