- EU lawmakers voted Wednesday (14 September) to effectively ban the use of soybeans as a feedstock for fuel, but declined to tighten an existing 7% cap on the use of crop-based biofuels, provoking mixed reactions from NGOs and industry campaigners.
- An amendment put forward by The Left group to prohibit crop-based biofuels from counting towards EU countries’ renewable energy targets was defeated, while a motion by the Greens and centre-left Socialists and Democrats groupings to restrict crop-based biofuels in times of food scarcity also failed to find enough support.
- Lawmakers additionally want to bring forward the start of the phase-out date for palm oil and soy, currently set at 2030, to as soon as the directive enters into force, likely as of 2023.
Wins and losses for campaigners as EU Parliament agrees new restrictions on biofuels
