Fuel Quality Directive
EU Member States and Parliament push for quick adoption of sustainability criteria for agrofuels
The European Commission insists that such standards are already being proposed in its directive on renewables (included in the "climate package" of 23 January) and doesn't want the criteria to be included in both directives, on the contrary of the European Parliament and the Member States.
Regarding those standards, the European Parliament environment committee already asked (in a vote last November) that agrofuels deliver life-cycle CO2 savings of at least 50% compared to fossil fuels, whereas the Commission only proposes a level of 35%.
The Member States also decided to set up a working group which will be in charge of drafting a proposal on sustainability criteria for agrofuels. It is expected that the group presents its recommendations in June 2008.
