Copa-Cogeca urges EU action amid surge in fraudulent feedstock imports for biofuels

Contrary to its original purpose, the energy-content multiplier—or double counting—applied under the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED) transportation targets is increasingly being misused, according to Copa-Cogeca, an organization representing farmers and agricultural cooperatives in Europe.

As such, double counting has turned into an entry point for a wave of fraudulent feedstock imports ranging from used cooking oil, palm-oil effluents and advanced ethanol, the organization stated.

Ahead of an EU transport and energy council meeting June 16, Copa-Cogeca has sent a formal letter to the president of the council and the European Commissioner for energy, outlining key demands to address the issue and restore confidence in certification schemes and market integrity.

“While the double-counting mechanism was originally designed by EU co-legislators to support the green transition, it is now raising serious concerns among European farmers and agricultural cooperatives,” Copa-Cogeca stated.

“Unlike other feedstocks listed in Annex IX of the RED, waste vegetable oils—which have a high energy content—are subject to extensive global trade, making them particularly vulnerable to fraud and weak traceability,” the association explained. “As a result, unfair competition against EU crop- and waste-based biofuels is intensifying, while the mechanism inadvertently incentivizes palm-oil demand and increases the risk of indirect land-use change (ILUC).”

Copa-Cogeca added that “immediate and coordinated action is urgently needed” to restore market integrity, rebuild trust in certification schemes and safeguard the EU’s long-term energy and environmental objectives.

In the letter, Copa-Cogeca emphasized the urgent need to:

• Remove the double-counting mechanism.

• Strengthen certification and audit rules.

• Ensure consistency in mass-balance systems throughout the entire production chain.

• Hold final biofuel users accountable for the validity and verification of sustainability certificates.

• Harmonize feedstock definitions under Annex IX to prevent fraud.

Copa-Cogeca also reaffirmed their commitment to the green-energy transition and the development of sustainable biofuels.

“Without swift corrective measures, however, current market distortions risk pushing traditional producers out of the market, causing long-term harm to EU agriculture and food security,” the organization warned.