Energyforum

Committee members voted to specify that the share of renewable energy in transport should be at least 8%-10% in 2020, out of which 40%-50% would be met by the use of electricity or hydrogen from renewable sources, and second-generation biofuels such as cellulosic biomass. They also voted to decide on the exact 2020 target in 2015, after a major review of the overall impact of the renewable transport policy, particularly on food prices.

They also backed having an interim renewable transport target of at least 4% by 2015, of which at least 20% would be met with renewable electricity or hydrogen and second-generation biofuels. In compromise amendments to a draft EU renewables directive, the MEPs also raised the threshold for CO2 savings from all biofuels to 45%, rising to at least 60% from 2015.

The European Commission proposed the binding 10% renewable transport target in its January climate protection package, which also included a binding overall EU target to have 20% of final energy use from renewables by 2020, and a cut in greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020.

The draft directive also set a 35% minimum CO2 savings threshold for biofuels as part of sustainability criteria for the fuels. The parliament and the EU Council, representing the 27 EU governments, are debating the package and have to agree on a common text before it can become law.

The commission's energy spokesman, Ferran Tarradellas, stressed late Monday that the environment committee was only voting on an opinion to be passed on to the parliament's energy committee, which as the lead committee recommends the final draft text to be voted on by the parliament as a whole.

Tarradellas said that four other parliamentary committees--agriculture, regions, transport and economy--had supported the 10% target in their opinions. The energy committee is due to vote on its final recommended text in September, with the full parliament vote expected late fall.