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Lack of binding sustainability criteria for biomass for electricity to harm biofuels industry

Date

02 Mar 2010

Sections

Climate & Environment
Energy
Sustainable Dev.

Brussels, 2 March 2010 ‐ A new report by the European Commission on sustainability requirements for the use of solid biomass and biogas in electricity, heaAng and cooling does not recommends the adopAon of binding sustainability criteria. This creates unacceptable economic barriers for other biomass users, such as the biofuels industry, for whom European regulaAon imposes binding sustainability criteria.

“eBIO welcomes the implementaAon of sustainability criteria for industries transforming biomass but, surely, these should be applied to all sectors involved ‐ be it biomass for fuel or biomass for electricity” said eBIO’s Rob Vierhout. “The European Commission should be the guardian of the level playing field and not pick favorite industries” he added.

eBIO calls on the European Commission to invalidate this decision and

introduce mandatory sustainability standards for electricity, heaAng and

cooling from biomass, in line with those to be applied to biofuels.

The report can be found at: hOp://ec.europa.eu/energy/renewables/ transparency_plaRorm/transparency_plaRorm_en.htm

 ENDS 

Contact details

Mr Christophe Bourillon

Director for CommunicaAons

106, Rue Joseph II

B‐1000 Brussels

p: +33 2 32 57 61 19

e: bourillon@ebio.org

www.ebio.org