European energy ministers have failed to strike a compromise deal on limiting food crop biofuels – leaving the industry in limbo until after next year’s elections.
The delay has sparked further anger on both sides of the debate, with the biofuel industry left waiting on a ruling and anti-fuel crop campaigners describing the delay as ‘unconscionable’
The European Commission had proposed capping the amount of transport fuel from crop-based biofuels at 5%, but an alternative compromise amount of 7% was put forward by current EU presidents Lithuania.
But ongoing concerns over allowing controversial indirect land use change – the displacement caused by clearing land for biofuel food crops – and divisions among the member states meant no deal could be struck.
A decision on biofuel limits will likely not now take place for months, with European parliamentary elections scheduled for May and the European Commission expiring in October next year.
The decision will cause more anger among the biofuels industry, which had invested based on the previous 10% goal.
UK renewables body the Renewable Energy Association hit out at the delay, warning it would have a knock-on to the UK’s own planned targets for 2020.
“The failure of EU policymakers to reach agreement today means that the ILUC saga will not be closed before the European elections in May next year,” said chief executive Dr Nina Skorupska.
“It is anyone’s guess at this stage how many more months, or years, the ILUC uncertainty will continue.
“The Government has always maintained it would wait for certainty on ILUC before setting out a trajectory to the 2020 transport target.
“Given the indefinite delay on ILUC at EU level, this is no longer tenable if the UK is to have any chance of meeting the 2020 transport target.”
But Greenpeace said the delay would only lead to more greenhouse gas damage.
“Today’s failure to act on the destructive consequences of EU biofuel policy is unconscionable,” said Greenpeace EU forest policy director Sébastien Risso.
“The use of food in our petrol tanks is spurring deforestation, higher greenhouse gas emissions, and pressuring food markets. We call upon ministers to come to their senses and rapidly agree a progressive solution to the problems in EU biofuel policy. The growth of biofuels competing with food for land must be halted and this cannot wait.”