The European Parliament adopted a legislative resolution on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.
The European Parliament’s position at second reading amended the Council position as follows:
Ceiling of conventional biofuels: Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable energy sources stipulates that each Member State is to ensure that the share of energy from renewable sources in all forms of transport in 2020 is at least 10 % of the final consumption of energy in transport in that Member State.
Parliament stated that the share of energy from biofuels produced from cereal and other starch‑rich crops, sugars and oil crops and from other crops grown as main crops primarily for energy purposes on agricultural land shall be no more than 7% of the final consumption of energy in transport in the Member States in 2020.
Member States may decide that the share of energy from biofuels produced from crops grown primarily for energy purposes on agricultural land other than cereal and other starch-rich crops, sugars and oil crops, grown as main crops, does not count towards the limit set out above, under certain conditions.
Advanced biofuels: the amended text stressed that it would be desirable to reach a significantly higher level of advanced biofuels compared to the current trajectories consumed within the Union already in 2020. By 18 months, at the latest, after the entry into force of the Directive, each Member State shall set a national target for advanced biofuels (such as those made from wastes and algae), which it shall endeavour to achieve. A reference value for this target is 0.5 percentage points in energy content of the share of energy from renewable sources in all forms of transport in 2020.
Member States may set a national target lower than the reference value of 0.5 percentage points, based on the grounds laid down in the Directive. Member States shall provide available information on the quantities of biofuels consumed from feedstocks and other fuels, at the point of setting their national targets.
Additional measures: the amended text stressed the need to consider further measures to encourage energy efficiency and energy savings in the transport sector.
Indirect land-use changes: the Commission should report on the effectiveness of the measures introduced by this Directive in limiting indirect land-use change greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of biofuel and bioliquids as well as on possibilities for introducing adjusted estimated indirect land-use change emissions factors into the appropriate sustainability criteria.
Review: the Commission shall at the latest by 31 December 2016, submit a report including an assessment of the availability of the necessary quantities of cost‑efficient biofuels on the Union market from non‑land using feedstocks and non‑food crops by 2020 and of their environmental, economic and social impacts.
The Commission shall, by 31 December 2017, submit a report on:
- the effectiveness of the incentives provided for biofuels from non‑land using feedstocks and non‑food crops under Directive 2009/28/EC;
- the impact of increased demand for biomass on biomass using sectors;
- the possibility of setting out criteria for the identification and certification of low indirect land-use change-risk biofuels and bioliquids;
- potential economic and environmental benefits and risks of increased production and use of dedicated non-food energy crops, by using also the data of existing projects;
- the relative share of bioethanol and biodiesel on the Union market and the share of energy from renewable sources in petrol.
The report shall, if appropriate, be accompanied by legislative proposals, based on the best available scientific evidence, for:
- introducing adjusted estimated indirect land‑use change emissions factors into the appropriate sustainability criteria of Directive 2009/28/EC;
- promoting sustainable biofuels after 2020 in a technology-neutral manner, in the context of the Horizon 2030 framework for climate and energy policies.