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

26-10-2009 MEP Belet warns Commission for Jatropha oil

MEP Ivo Belet (PPE) questions the sustainability of Jatropha oil that was said to be the biofuel of the future. Considering the EU plans striving for 10% use of renewable energy sources (including biofuels) in their transport sector in 2020 and the uncertainty of the effects and sustainability of these, it is important to raise awareness and knowledge on this issue.

For doing this we have monitored Ivo Belet as Fair Politician.

Monitor fair: EPP

 

Parliamentary questions
26 October 2009 
E-5252/09
WRITTEN QUESTION by Ivo Belet (PPE) to the Commission

 Subject: Jatropha oil as a biofuel 

By June 2010 the Member States have to submit their national energy plans, mapping out among other things how they will power 10 % of their transport sector from renewable energy sources (including biofuels) by 2020. Sustainability criteria have been established for these biofuels.

With this in mind it is worth mentioning that doubts have recently been cast on jatropha oil, which was being proclaimed a few years ago as the biofuel of the future. However, it is now uncertain whether jatropha oil is really sustainable.

How is the Commission currently promoting research into, and the use of, jatropha oil? Is the Commission aware of these concerns? And what is it doing about them? Has this issue yet come up in discussions with third countries which have been investing in the jatropha plant for a number of years?