On the 17th of October The  European Commission presented its proposal for stricter rules for biofuels by amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. Director of BioRefining Alliance, Anne Grete Holmsgaard, calls it a strong signal.

The new proposed stricter rules sets a 5 percent maximum share for first generation biofuels - fuels based on food crops - in the european transport sector.  

 - The proposal sends the strong signal, that unsustainable (1G) biofuels, which has low or even negative CO₂ effect, shall have a fixed and later a decreasing market share in the coming years. On the other hand the Commission wants to promote 2G biofuels made from agricultural and forestry residues - e.g. straw. This is very good, says director of BioRefining Alliance Anne Grete Holmsgaard.   

According to Anne Grete Holmsgaard it is also necessary for each EU country to make national policies which can promote 2G biofuels:

 - In the proposal 2G biofuels will have a four-double count when EU countries is going to live up to the goal of 10 percent renewable energy in the transport sector by 2020. So in order to meet e. g. a 5 percent goal out of the 10 percent only 1.25 percent has to be 2G. But 1.25 percent is probably too small a market share for potential investors. Therefore, governments need to set a minimum share of 2G biofuels in their national transport sector - for example 2.5 or 3 percent, she says.

Read the proposal her    

For more comments contact director Anne Grete Holmsgaard on mobile

See the press conference about the proposal with European Commissioners Connie Hedegaard (Climate Action) and Günther Oettinger (Energy) below: