21
May
2026
Watch
Need for an adaptation of the EU legal framework on sustainable biofuels (debate)
Mr President, dear colleagues, recent geopolitical developments have accelerated a significant shift in the global fuel economy. Sustainable – I mean sustainable, and I repeat, sustainable – EU‑made biofuels, including crop‑based biofuels, must become part of Europe's strategic response, especially in the short term, because they are a contribution to energy independence, resilience, climate protection, support for European farmers and local economies. The EU had a very good start in biofuels in 2003. Unfortunately, it missed momentum. Why? Ask the Commission! Currently, we have too many pieces of legislation that often contradict each other as far as they are prepared in silos. This creates uncertainty and paradoxically supports fraud and imports instead of investments – investments that European companies increasingly choose to make outside the EU. That is why the EU must simplify and harmonise the framework for renewable fuels, and start to speak to industry again. And in the areas of maritime and aviation, we must align the reality of the supply and global framework. Otherwise we become an island. A comprehensive Omnibus that brings coherence and predictability across the entire sector can be a fast and effective solution. Revision purely of RED III – or whichever RED it is – will not solve the problem.