The European Parliament approved a draft law Tuesday to cap first-generation biofuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The draft law aims to cut emissions caused by the growing use of farm land for biofuel crops.
With the new law, first-generation biofuels produced from crops grown on agricultural land are capped at 7 percent for their share in energy consumption in transport by 2020.
Current legislation requires EU member states to ensure that renewable energy accounts for at least 10 percent of energy consumption in transport by 2020.
Additionally, EU member states will have to set national targets for the share of advanced biofuels sourced from certain types of waste and residues and new sources such as seaweed used in total transport consumption.
Additional agreed items include the necessity for fuel suppliers to report the estimated level of greenhouse gas emissions caused by indirect land use to the EU Commission and EU countries. Also the commission needs to report and publish data on related emission levels.
The target needs to be set no later than 18 months after the EU directive enters into force. Member states must enact the legislation by 2017.
'We succeeded in getting a very technical, technological and ideological file to go ahead,' said Nils Torvalds, lead member of the European Parliament, however, he continued to question whether the law was tough enough.
“We had much higher goals. Both in terms of greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and technological progress. If Europe doesn't move forward, it will be left behind,' Torvalds commented.
By Zeynep Beyza Karabay
Anadolu Agency
zeynep.karabay@aa.com.tr