Transport Biofuels Directive 2003
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Directive 2003/30/EC was a
European Union directive A directive is a legal act of the European Union that requires member states to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result. Directives first have to be enacted into national law by member states before thei ...
for promoting the use of biofuels for EU transport. The directive entered into force in May 2003, and stipulated that national measures must be taken by countries across the EU aiming at replacing 5.75% of all transport fossil fuels (petrol and diesel) with biofuels by 2010. The directive also called for an intermediate target of 2% by 31 December 2005. The target of 5.75% was to be met by 31 December 2010. These percentages were to be calculated on the basis of energy content of the fuel and were to apply to petrol and
diesel fuel Diesel fuel , also called diesel oil, is any liquid fuel specifically designed for use in a diesel engine, a type of internal combustion engine in which fuel ignition takes place without a spark as a result of compression of the inlet air and ...
for transport purposes placed on the markets of member states. Member states were encouraged to take on national "indicative" targets in conformity with the overall target. Directive 2003/30/EC was repealed by Directive 2009/28/EC.


Legislation

* COM(2001) 547, Communication of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
of 7 November 2001 on an Action Plan and two Proposals for Directives to foster the use of Alternative Fuels for Transport, starting with the regulatory and fiscal promotion of biofuels * COM(2006) 845, Communication of the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
to the Council and the European Parliament: Biofuels Progress Report, that proposes to raise the biofuel target to 10% by 2020. * Related legislation: ** Council Directive 2003/96/EC of 27 October 2003 restructuring the Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity ** COM(2007)18: Proposal for a Directive amending Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC (also called Directive relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels ), as amended by Directive 2003/17/EC: fuel suppliers should reduce the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuels from 2011 onward, by 1% year.


Results

A 2007 progress report found that biofuel only held a 1% share, not reaching the target of 2% or the combined goals of the member nations, which was 1.4%. The 2010 target was officially replaced when the Directive 2003/30/EC was repealed by Directive 2009/28/EC which contained a target of 10% by 2020.


Petroleum industry accused of undermining

On 2008-04-29, Friends of the Earth Europe (FoEE) released a report stating that oil companies are falsely claiming that the target proposed by the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body ...
in revisions to the Fuel Quality Directive is unachievable. The report specifically cited that it is viable for these companies to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10.5% to a maximum of 15.5% through the reduction of gas flaring and venting as well as energy efficiency and refinery improvements. On the issue of the financial constraints, the report cited the $125 billion record profit that oil companies collectively announced in 2007. "Despite their sky-high profits oil companies are not willing to bear the costs of reducing emissions. It seems that since these investments are not profitable, companies will not make them unless they are forced by a regulatory body," the report said.


Criticism

On 14 January 2008 the EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas announced the EU is rethinking its biofuel program due to environmental and social concerns and new guidelines must ensure that EU targets are not damaging. The EU official was particularly concerned about the impact of biofuels on rising
food prices Food prices refer to the average price level for food across countries, regions and on a global scale. Food prices have an impact on producers and consumers of food. Price levels depend on the food production process, including food marketing ...
, rainforest destruction, notably from palm oil production and concern for rich firms driving poor people off their land to convert it to fuel crops. On 18 January 2008 the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee raised similar concerns, and called for a moratorium on biofuel targets. This position echoes the stance of many non-governmental organisations and environmentalists. One of the EU responses involved the introduction of the sustainability criteria in the biofuel program. This include key provisions that address the issue of rainforest destruction and unsustainable land conversion. These mandate that biofuels and bioliquid: * cannot be produced in areas of high biodiversity; * cannot be produced in untouched forests, protected areas and highly biodiverse savannahs (grasslands); and * cannot be sourced from areas with high carbon stocks, including wetlands and continuous forests. The European Parliament has also approved a more lenient policy revising its target for 2015. Although the 10% objective for 2020 was retained, the directive set an interim target of 5% for 2015.


See also

*
EU law European Union law is a system of rules operating within the member states of the European Union (EU). Since the founding of the European Coal and Steel Community following World War II, the EU has developed the aim to "promote peace, its val ...
* Bioenergy *
Food vs fuel Food versus fuel is the dilemma regarding the risk of diverting farmland or crops for biofuels production to the detriment of the food supply. The biofuel and food price debate involves wide-ranging views, and is a long-standing, controversial ...
*
Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) in the United Kingdom is a requirement on transport fuel suppliers to ensure that 5 per cent of all road vehicle fuel is supplied from sustainable renewable sources by 2010. The Government intend ...
(UK implementation) * Energy policy of the European Union *
Phase-out of fossil fuels Fossil fuel phase-out is the gradual reduction of the use and production of fossil fuels to zero. It is part of the ongoing renewable energy transition. Current efforts in fossil fuel phase-out involve replacing fossil fuels with sustainabl ...


References


External links


Text of the directiveEuropean Commission pages on biofuelsEFOASummary of criticisms of EU biofuels directive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Directive On The Promotion Of The Use Of Biofuels And Other Renewable Fuels For Transport Biofuel in the European Union Biofuels technology Energy policies and initiatives of the European Union European Union directives Friends of the Earth 2003 in law 2003 in the European Union