Another sign of divisions over biofuels in the European Parliament

The European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism voted Thursday to reject the draft opinion on RED II put forward by MEP Bas Eickhout, choosing not to endorse the hard-line position adopted by the Environment Committee last month. It is yet another sign of the divisions in the assembly over where EU biofuels policy should be heading.

“Once again the European Parliament has sent a mixed, hesitant signal on an issue that requires clarity and action: the need for sustainable low-carbon fuels for EU transport,” said Emmanuel Desplechin, ePURE Secretary General. “The rejection by members of the Transport committee of an opinion on RED II reflects the lack of vision and leadership in the Parliament – at a time when the EU needs all the tools it can get for decarbonization: sustainably produced GHG-reducing biofuels like European ethanol.”

Desplechin added: “Now it will be up to MEPs in the plenary vote and Member States to make a clear statement in favour of a Renewable Energy Directive that delivers on EU climate and energy goals by putting sustainable biofuels ahead of fossil fuel.”

 

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