European Parliament calls for biofuel targets to be cut

(STRASBOURG) - The European Parliament called Monday for the EU to lower its targets for developing biofuels, thought to boost harmful emissions and drive up food prices, in favour of cleaner power sources for transport.

The environment committee of the European bloc's parliament recommended the EU aim to make renewable sources account for between eight and 10 percent of transport power sources, with biofuels to account for just half of this share.

The EU's ambitious energy and climate plan, unveiled last year, says no less than 10 percent of all the fuel powering vehicles must come from renewable energy by 2020.

An earlier reading of the EU plan had set a target by which this 10 percent would consist only of biofuels. EU ministers later said the plan had been misread and the 10 percent encompassed other renewable energy sources.

But the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, maintains that the 10 percent target will effectively mean 10 percent biofuels, since other sources -- such as electric cars and hydrogen fuel -- are considered not yet viable means of powering vehicles.

The parliamentarians on Monday also recommended a midway target by which renewables would account for four percent of transport energy sources by 2015, with biofuels to make up only a fraction of this.

The opinion of the parliament's environment committee -- the first of its panels to amend the European Commission's climate proposals -- is a consultative step ahead of a vote in September, a parliament spokesman said.

That vote is to be carried out by the parliamentary body most concerned with the proposals, its industry and energy committee.

Biofuels had been seen as a relatively carbon-free way to fuel cars and trucks. In recent months, however, they have been criticised for driving up world food prices, diverting precious crop land, and aggravating deforestation.

The EU plan calls for 20 percent of all energy needs in the 27-nation bloc to be met from renewable sources by 2020, and for a 20 percent reduction of greenhouse gases -- compared to 1990 levels -- by the same date.

Green groups have criticised some grain-based fuels -- especially ethanol, made from corn -- as being nearly as CO2-intensive as gasoline once the cost of production and transport are taken into account.