Leaked reports suggest EU biofuels U-turn on the cards
Leaked reports of an impending U-turn by the EU over the inclusion of 10% biofuel in road petrol and diesel by 2020 are cinculating in Brussels, bringing uncertainty to the green fuel industry and farming organisations.
The latest suggestions that the 10% figure may be scrapped, despite commitments to reduce climate change, comes on top of reports that Chancellor Alastair Darling, in his letter to fellow EU finance ministers on action to curb food price inflation, also called for an investigation into the effect that biofuel production was having on food.
And European Commission president José Manuel Barroso is also reported to have ordered a study into possible links between biofuels and the recent rapid rises in food prices.
Although an EC spokesman insisted the president was not considering changing the 10% target and might not even publish the results of his study, Mr Barroso is reported as saying: "We must have the courage to re-examine our [biofuels] objectives."
The latest concerns over the possible effect of the target on food prices are expressed in a leaked draft report by Claude Turmes, the European Parliament's lead rapporteur for the draft EU renewable energy directive and vice chairman of the Green Party in the European Parliament.
The latest suggestions that the 10% figure may be scrapped, despite commitments to reduce climate change, comes on top of reports that Chancellor Alastair Darling, in his letter to fellow EU finance ministers on action to curb food price inflation, also called for an investigation into the effect that biofuel production was having on food.
And European Commission president José Manuel Barroso is also reported to have ordered a study into possible links between biofuels and the recent rapid rises in food prices.
Although an EC spokesman insisted the president was not considering changing the 10% target and might not even publish the results of his study, Mr Barroso is reported as saying: "We must have the courage to re-examine our [biofuels] objectives."
The latest concerns over the possible effect of the target on food prices are expressed in a leaked draft report by Claude Turmes, the European Parliament's lead rapporteur for the draft EU renewable energy directive and vice chairman of the Green Party in the European Parliament.
