EU member states demand stricter UCO supervision
Five EU countries have demanded the European Commission establish a framework for stricter supervision of the use of biofuels in the bloc in the wake of a number of cases of fraud relating the sale of used cooking oil (UCO) of unsustainable origin as transport fuel.
EURACTIV reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg issued a joint statement on the need to improve the supervision for the use of biofuels under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) in order to ensure the bloc better meets its targets for decarbonising transport.
EURACTIV has learned that the five countries will raise the issue at the environment ministers’ council on 10 June. The Dutch-led initiative comes as the European demand for biodiesel continues to grow.
“The market is growing, so supervision must grow alongside. In this way we guarantee the sustainability of the biofuels we use,” said Stientje van Veldhoven, the Dutch secretary of state at the ministry of infrastructure and water management.
“We are joining forces now, because we cannot do this without European cooperation.”
The initiative follows a number of alleged biodiesel fraud cases in which buyers were reportedly sold unsustainable UCO containing palm oil imported from outside the bloc.
In the joint statement, the initiators said the cases showed that relying on certification and private oversight was not enough to ensure sustainability.
EURACTIV reported that the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg issued a joint statement on the need to improve the supervision for the use of biofuels under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) in order to ensure the bloc better meets its targets for decarbonising transport.
EURACTIV has learned that the five countries will raise the issue at the environment ministers’ council on 10 June. The Dutch-led initiative comes as the European demand for biodiesel continues to grow.
“The market is growing, so supervision must grow alongside. In this way we guarantee the sustainability of the biofuels we use,” said Stientje van Veldhoven, the Dutch secretary of state at the ministry of infrastructure and water management.
“We are joining forces now, because we cannot do this without European cooperation.”
The initiative follows a number of alleged biodiesel fraud cases in which buyers were reportedly sold unsustainable UCO containing palm oil imported from outside the bloc.
In the joint statement, the initiators said the cases showed that relying on certification and private oversight was not enough to ensure sustainability.
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