European Biodiesel Board welcomes EU protein action plan
In Belgium, European Biodiesel Board (EBB) welcomed the European Commission’s publication of the “Action Plan for Resilience, Strategic Autonomy, and Sustainability of the EU Protein System” (the Protein Action Plan). The EBB recognized this initiative as an important step in bringing to life the ambition of a more autonomous Europe and build a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable agri-food system. Crucially, the Protein Action Plan explicitly recognized the inseparable link between domestic protein production and the European biofuels sector. The Commission acknowledges how bioenergy policies directly influence the availability of protein-rich co-products essential for animal feed, as well as the overall economic viability of cultivating protein crops within the EU. It also acknowledges that demand for protein in the EU is increasingly driven by emerging needs related to circularity and bioenergy. Furthermore, it underlines that bioenergy policies have a direct impact on the availability of protein co-products for animal feed, as well as on the profitability of EU-grown protein-rich crops. Additionally, the Commission announces that, as part of the post-2030 review of the Renewable Energy Directive, it will assess how domestic biofuel production, protein crops and feedstocks can be further increased to strengthen the Union’s strategic autonomy and resilience, with these objectives to be reflected in the future policy framework. The EBB once more called on the Commission to reevaluate the current limits placed on first-generation biofuels and guarantee that future legislation creates new opportunities for 1G biofuels in achieving transport decarbonization targets. Additionally, we ask the Commission to recognize the decarbonization potential of 1G biofuels in EU legislation, such as FuelEU Maritime and ReFuelEU Aviation Regulations, the LDV Co2 Standards, the ETD, and the Taxonomy Technical Screening Criteria to identify “Taxonomy-compliant” economic activities.
Category: Policy
