The Commission has decided to encourage industry, governments and NGOs to set up certification schemes for all types of biofuels, including those imported into the EU. It laid down what the schemes must do to be recognised by the Commission. This will help implement the EU's requirements that biofuels must deliver substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and should not come from forests, wetlands and nature protection areas. The rules for certification schemes are part of a set of guidelines explaining how the Renewable Energy Directive should be implemented.

The new package consists of two Communications and a Decision, and they can be accessed at the energy website of the European Commission:

• Communication on voluntary schemes and default values in the EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability scheme
• Communication on the practical implementation of the EU biofuels and bioliquids sustainability scheme and on counting rules for biofuels
• Decision on guidelines for the calculation of land carbon stocks

These three documents should help businesses and Member States to implement the Renewable Energy Directive, coming into effect in December 2010. They focus especially on the sustainability criteria for biofuels and what is to be done in order to control that only sustainable biofuels are used.

• Sustainable Biofuel Certificates - The Commission encourages industry, governments and NGOs to set up "voluntary schemes" to certify biofuel sustainability – and explains the standards these must meet to gain EU recognition.
• Protecting untouched nature - The Communication explains that biofuels should not be made from raw materials from tropical forests or recently deforested areas, drained peatland, wetland or highly biodiverse areas – and how this should be assessed.
• Promote only biofuels with high greenhouse gas savings - The Communication reiterates that Member States have to meet binding, national targets for renewable energy and that only those biofuels with high greenhouse gas savings count for the national targets, explaining also how this is calculated.

Background

The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets an overall EU target of 20% renewable energy in total energy consumption by 2020, translated into binding national targets for Member States. Every Member States has to reach individual national targets for the overall share of renewable energy. In addition, in the transport sector, all Member States have to reach the same target of a 10% share of renewable energy.

Renewables include solid biomass, wind, solar energy and hydro power as well as biofuels. Only biofuels that meet the EU's sustainability requirements can count towards the targets in the Directive.