EU Biofuels in Transport: An Uncertain Future

On Tuesday 13 November, Fleishman-Hillard Brussels will host a round-table discussion on the European Commission’s recent proposal on biofuels and the controversial issue of Indirect Land Use Change, or ILUC.

The core of the proposal aims to cap the share of food-based, or first generation, biofuels at 5% in all transport fuel in Europe. It also raises the issue of applying, at a future date, so-called ILUC “factors” (or indirect greenhouse gas emissions) to biofuels in addition to the direct emissions that are already accounted for by the EU Renewable and Fuel Quality Directives. The proposal is aimed at addressing environmental and social sustainability issues surrounding biofuels with important implications for the European biofuels’ sector.

To flesh out the Commission’s proposal and address a host of related issues, FH Brussels has invited a trio of well-qualified representatives to participate in the round table: Jasmin Battista, Member of the Cabinet of Günther H. Oettinger, Commissionner for Energy, at the European Commission’s DG Energy; Ilmari Lastikaa, Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs Manager for Finnish oil refiner Neste Oil; and Imke Lübbeke, Senior Policy Officer for Renewable Energy at WWF.

The event will be moderated by Spencer Swartz, Vice President and Associate Director for Fleishman-Hillard Brussels’ energy practice, and will take place under Chatham House rules. As participation is limited, please contact Sebastien De Roos for further information at [email protected] or +32 2 282 09 86.