Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 117: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his position on proposals to include biofuel sustainability standards in a revised version of the EU's fuel quality directive 1998; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9625/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I fully support the case for introducing sustainability criteria into the proposal to amend the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70/EC. The cultivation of biofuels can have wide ranging environmental, economic and social impacts, including on biodiversity, on the price of food crops and on communities competing for land with commercial biofuel interests, while actual net emission reductions from the use of biofuels will depend on a range of factors including type of cultivation, conservation process and fuels used. An EU Ad hoc Working Party on Sustainability Criteria for biofuels has been established with the aim of agreeing suitable text, for purposes of both the proposed Directive on promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, and the proposed Directive amending the 1998 Fuel Quality Directive. Development of the text is ongoing and Ireland is represented on this Working Party by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.