State of the Energy Union: What it says and what it doesn’t say

The European Commission issued its Third Report on the State of the Energy Union, claiming that "Europe's transition to a low-carbon society is becoming the new reality on the ground" while at the same time noting that it was falling behind in meeting renewables targets for transport.

“With its latest State of the Energy Union the Commission once again shows how it is working against its own goals when it comes to renewables policy," said Emmanuel Desplechin, ePURE Secretary General. "By showing there has not been sufficient progress towards the 10% target for renewables by 2020, and that greenhouse gas emissions in transport continue to rise, the report clearly underlines the need for crop-based biofuels like ethanol to help reverse the EU’s poor showing in transport decarbonisation. But instead of promoting today’s low-emission biofuels, the Commission wants to phase them out and pursue the myth of tomorrow’s ‘zero-emission vehicles.’”

“The EU wants to be the world leader on promoting renewables. But simply calling for “further improvements” in transport energy – as this report does – is not enough. In fact the Council is now more ambitious than the Commission itself, by stepping up to the plate and proposing tangible solutions to achieve the Energy Union goals: build on the success of the existing framework; leave in place the 7 percent cap on crop-based biofuels; and promote advanced biofuels and renewable electricity in addition to, not at the expense of, existing solutions.”