European Commission confirms 10 percent biofuel target; fuels must be sustainable, not just renewable

The European Commission announced it will introduce a 10 percent biofuels target and a 20 percent renewables target for the 27-member community, to be fully implemented by 2020. Key to the EC proposal was that fuels must not only be renewable; they must materially affect emissions and be harvested in a sustainable manner.

Last week, the Commission announced a plan to reform EU agricultural subsidies. The plan would reduce subsidies for large-scale farms and direct the savings to increased support of smaller-scale farming.

At the present time, 20 percent of farmers receive 80 percent of subsidies under current rules. The plan also calls for increasing quota levels of certain items such as milk, to keep pace with increased demand, and elimination of milk quotas altogether by 2015.

The plan also calls for the release of unfarmed lands for biofuel production. The Commission is preparing the new rules as the EU prepares for the effect of expansion of its membership to 27 nations.

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