Policy recommendations

  • The European Union must ensure that its Energy Policy will not harm the food security of the urban and rural poor in developing countries, whose daily survival is threatened by substantially higher food prices. It should draw up a strategy to ensure the urban and rural poor are compensated for higher food prices before installing mandatory levels of biofuels;
  • The European Union should abolish its domestic subsidies and import tariffs for biofuels, in order to allow developing countries to profit from the trade opportunities biofuels offer;
  • The European Union should draw up comprehensive sustainability criteria for biofuels, including more ambitious standards for greenhouse-gas reduction a slight decrease of emissions as compared to fossil fuels is simply not enough and the protection of biodiversity and carbon-rich ecosystems;
  • The European Commission should include social criteria in its review of the Biofuels Directive to guarantee that the rural populations who live off marginal lands and forests are not hurt by expanding agricultural production;
  • The European Union should stimulate local processing and the use of sustainable biofuels in developing countries. Small-scale farmer cooperatives should be stimulated to prevent the benefits from biofuel production from only falling into the hands of large-plantation owners.

Case: Biofuels

20-02-2008 Written question MEP Martin: Biofuels

20 February 2008

Due to the growing political and public attention to climate change, biofuels have become a hotly-debated topic. Measures to combat the effects of global warming are currently at the top of the political agenda worldwide. While introducing measures to reduce CO2 emissions by expanding the use of so-called biofuels, the EU must take care that it does not harm the interests of developing countries. Their food security, biodiversity and local livelihoods could be endangered by the large-scale introduction of biofuels, produced for the benefit of European consumers.

In a written question, MEP David Martin (PSE) asked the Commission how it envisages dealing with individual Member States that contravene the Commission’s biofuels guidelines, or indirectly cause environmental damage in partner countries, in their bid to meet the EU’s 10 % biofuels target.

Fair Politics EU stresses that the Commission’s resolution to strive for 10% of all energy produced in the EU to be from renewable resources, like biofuels, can severely endanger developing countries’ food security. Land used for growing staple crops is increasingly used to grow crops that serve as a basis for agro fuels. This procedure is incoherent with the efforts the EU has taken to eradicate poverty by enhancing the economic participation of the poorest.

In one of the policy recommendations, put forward in our case study on the subject of biofuels, Fair Politics EU suggests that the European Commission should include social criteria in its new Energy package and in the current Biofuels Directive to guarantee that the rural populations, who live off marginal lands and forests, are not hurt by expanding agricultural production. The efforts of the European Union to secure its energy supply, while subsidizing its agriculture, should not go at the expense of its environmental and development objectives.

Fair Politics EU monitors the efforts made by MEPs to address Policy Coherence for Development in their daily political activities. MEP Martin’s question to the Commission underlines the importance of policy coherence on the subject of biofuels. He urges the Commission to be coherent in its actions. By doing so, effectively takes action to promote the coherence between development and environmental policies. For this action, MEP David Martin was awarded a coherence star.

Full question of Mr. David Martin can be found below.

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0554/08
by David Martin (PSE)
to the Commission
Subject: Biofuels guidelines
Date: 8 February 2008

According to the Brazilian Government, 3 235 square kilometers of the Brazilian rainforest were destroyed between August and December of last year. Recent media reports claim that domestic US subsidy of biofuels crops has encouraged Brazilians to deforest and use pasture land to fill the gap in American soya production. Consequently, Brazilian cattle farmers have also recommenced the destructive practice of deforestation to preserve their livelihood.

How does the Commission envisage dealing with individual Member States who contravene the Commission’s biofuels guidelines, or indirectly cause environmental damage in our partner countries, in their bid to meet the 10 % biofuels target set out in the ‘Climate Action and Renewable Energy Package’?

So far the Commission has not replied yet

More information?

Visit the website of the European Parliament

Visit the website of MEP David Martin