EU Energy Ministers Endorse 10% Biofuels Target

18 February 2007

Energy Ministers of the 27 EU countries, meeting in Brussels on 15 February, adopted a draft energy action plan for Europe that includes a 10% binding minimum biofuel target by 2020. The current target is 5.75% by 2010.

The binding character of the target is subject to “production being sustainable, second-generation biofuels becoming commercially available, and the Fuel Quality Directive being amended accordingly to allow for adequate levels of blending, according to the group’s statement.

The ministers also endorsed a 20% shared of renewable energies in overall EU energy consumption by 2020. Although each member state would be held to the 10% biofuels target, each member state would otherwise decide on their own national targets for each specific sector of renewable energies.

The endorsement followed debate on the energy proposal tabled by the Commission in January, which included the 10% biofuels target. (Earlier post.)