European Parliament rejects proposal to eliminate soy biofuels from 2030 targets
In Belgium, members of the European Parliament have voted to reject an EU regulation that would have seen soy biofuels no longer count as a renewable fuel by 2030. Soy bean cultivation is one of the world’s leading causes of deforestation and land clearance, says T&E.
The decision to reverse the regulation could now see the EU liable for over $5.6 billion a year in retaliation penalties from Indonesia and Malaysia for failing to meet a legal obligation to update its laws regarding deforestation-risk biofuels, according to a letter sent to MEPs from Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen.
The EU previously won a WTO trade dispute against Indonesia and Malaysia that allowed the EU to keep a phase out of palm oil biofuels – of which Indonesia and Malaysia are the world’s biggest producers – provided it took a scientific and consistent approach to what it considers high deforestation risk feedstocks. This condition will now not be met as a result of today’s vote, leaving the EU open to litigative action from these palm oil powerhouses.
Category: Policy
