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5th July 2007

Today and tomorrow, 5 and 6 July, the European Commission will bring together politicians and business people, academics and NGOs involved in the biofuel sector to debate the benefits and challenges of bio-fuels production and use.

Hosted by External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the two-day conference will include contributions from the Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, Brazil’s President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the Portuguese Prime Minister, José Sócrates.

European Commissioners Andris Piebalgs, Peter Mandelson, Louis Michel and Stavros Dimas, and Ministers from the EU and all over the world will also participate, as well as business representatives and academics, representatives of NGOs and other groups to discuss how to develop an international approach to biofuel production, use and trade.

Debates will address five key issues: policies to support biofuels; development of international trade in biofuels, environmental risks and benefits of production and use, biofuels and developing countries and research activities in biofuels.

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "The Commission is determined to be at the forefront of ensuring that biofuels are developed in ways that protect our planet – not in ways that present new risks. At the same time we need to work towards a credible and sustainable international market and convergence in biofuel standards. This can only be achieved by a transparent and frank dialogue with all partners – and today's conference is a first step."

The EU energy policy adopted in March 2007 set a 10% minimum target for biofuel market share by 2020, as part of a wider ‘Renewable Energy Roadmap’ proposed by the Commission in January, which seeks a 20% share of renewables in the EU's energy mix by 2020. A comprehensive renewable energy directive will also include a biofuel sustainability scheme.

The Commission reports that the EU produced 3.9 million tonnes of biofuels in 2005, an increase of 60% over 2004. EU production of bioethanol (from cereals) accounts for 0.73 million tonnes of the total and biodiesel (from rapeseed) for 3.2 million tonnes. This represents 1% of EU petrol and diesel consumption.

Globally, the production of bioethanol for fuel use was approximately 26.9 million tonnes in 2005, representing around 2% of petrol use worldwide. Brazil is the world’s leading producer of bioethanol, producing nearly 13 million tonnes in 2005, followed by the US which produced 11.8 million tonnes in the same year.

For more information, see:

International Conference on Biofuels 2007:

http://ec.europa.eu/external_relations/energy/biofuels/index.htm