ePURE urges EU action on biofuel recommendation

The European Commission has recommended that the EU increase its use of biofuels to boost energy security and reduce dependence on fossil oil. The recommendation has prompted ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association, to call for immediate policy action to expand domestic production and authorise higher ethanol fuel blends.

The Commission’s position was set out in a 31 March letter from Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen to EU energy ministers, warning that Europe “must be ready for a potentially prolonged disruption of international energy trade.” The Commission’s Directorate General for Energy added that “increasing the uptake of biofuels could help substitute for fossil petroleum products and alleviate pressure on the market.”

ePURE is calling on the EU to reopen the Fuel Quality Directive to authorise E20 blends in petrol cars, a move it says is supported by several automakers. European ethanol biorefineries are currently operating below capacity, the association said, and could contribute more to the bloc’s energy sovereignty.

ePURE also highlighted the upcoming review of the Renewable Energy Directive for the post-2030 period as an opportunity to revise crop-cap limits and strengthen domestic energy supply. The association noted that the US and Brazil are actively supporting their domestic ethanol industries, and urged the EU to adopt a comparable approach.

Source: ePURE