European Biodiesel Board publishes position on post-2030 energy, climate framework and RED

The European Biodiesel Board published its policy recommendations April 16 for the establishment of the post-2030 European Union energy and climate framework.

As the EU looks toward its 2040 milestones, EBB is calling for a robust Renewable Energy Directive that prioritizes stability, simplifies market entry for renewable fuels and removes existing regulatory bottlenecks.  

Maintaining momentum

In its paper, EBB advocates for a framework that continues the current trend of progressively increasing decarbonization targets.

The association, representing producers of biodiesel (FAME), renewable diesel (HVO) and biobased sustainable aviation fuel (HEFA) in the EU said it remains fully committed to the set climate targets, and stresses that the EU must keep up its ambition.  

“While the Effort Sharing Regulation and ETS I and ETS II are vital, they do not currently provide a price signal strong enough to drive the necessary volumes of renewable fuels,” said Domenico Mininini, the policy director at EBB. “General market mechanisms must remain complementary to specific, ad-hoc transport targets within the post-2030 RED to ensure investment security and clear deployment pathways.”  

Removing regulatory barriers

To unlock the full potential of biofuels, EBB identifies three critical dimensions that require immediate legislative attention in the post-2030 era.

First, regarding sustainability and integrity, EBB emphasizes that effective fraud prevention in sustainability certification is a nonnegotiable precondition for a functioning EU renewable fuel market.

Without rigorous oversight, the market cannot deliver on its true decarbonization potential.  

Second, EBB calls for a strategic reassessment of feedstock eligibility.

Existing caps applied to first-generation biofuels and to Annex IXB biofuels should be reassessed.

Moreover, appropriate regulatory incentives should be granted to all feedstocks in Annex IX.

For its part B, this means at minimum reassessing the cap, EBB asserted.  

“The 2040 framework should undoubtedly set the RED as the regulatory reference for feedstock-eligibility matters in all pieces of legislation governing the production and use of biofuels,” Mininini said.

Lastly, EBB urges the removal of obstacles hindering high-blend biofuels.

In particular, unnecessary limits in FAME specifications under the Fuel Quality Directive should be revised, and flexibility should be reintroduced for member states to allow FAME content above the limits.

Moreover, a new minimum quota for liquid road biofuels in the RED transport target should be set.  

Click here to access the position paper.