News from the EBA: iLUC Report Published

The European Parliament’s ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee report on indirect Land Use Change has been published. The report suggests removing the proposed cap on conventional biofuels and proposals for iLUC reporting, instead suggesting the following increasing sub-target for advanced biofuels:

• In 2020, at least 2% of the final consumption of energy in transport shall be met with energy from advanced biofuels.
• In 2025, at least 4% of the final consumption of energy in transport shall be met with energy from advanced biofuels.

Furthermore the report proposes the Commission submit by 31 December 2015 “a legislative proposal to incorporate further ILUC mitigation measures such as use of co-products, yield increases, manufacturing efficiencies and crop production on abandoned land by means of a similar bonus to the one set out for biomass obtained from land”.

Although these are broadly positive suggestions – in line with those the EBA called for – there is still a long way to go. The ITRE Committee together with the ENVI (Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) Committee are the leading committees in charge of the iLUC proposal in the Parliament. The Rapporteur of the ENVI Committee (Corinne Lepage) will put forward her report shortly, which is expected to be more in line with the original proposal of the Commission, which included a limit on crop-based fuels to meeting no more than half of the 10% renewable energy in transport target.

After the reports have been presented at the next committee meetings, other MEPs are invited to table amendments to the report which is then followed by a vote at the committee. Once MEPs have tabled their amendments to this report, the EBA will send voting recommendations to the members of the ITRE committee.

You can find the

ITRE report here.