The committee adopted the report by Maria del Pilar AYUSO GONZALEZ (EPP-ED, E) broadly approving the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading), subject to a number of amendments. While agreeing with the Commission's proposal that biofuels should account for 2% of fuel sold in the Member States by 31 December 2005, and 5.75% by 2010, MEPs were nevertheless opposed to laying down a minimum level for blended fuels (mixtures of biofuels and conventional fuels).
The committee argued that demand would exceed supply in future and therefore called for measures to allow the active promotion of biofuel production, which is currently very limited in the EU. However, it added that environmental principles must be observed in the production of these 'green' fuels and that support must be given to production methods that achieve the best environmental balance. MEPs also called on the Commission to devise a specific environmental impact assessment for biofuels.
Moreover, since the products used for the production of biodiesel come from a wide range of sources, a quality standard should be laid down to ensure that the engines using it do not run the risk of damage. Lastly, the committee called on the Member States to promote the use of biofuels in public/collective transport so as to support safer and more environmentally-friendly means of transport.�