Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his view on fuel derived from bitumen or tar sands; if it is viewed as more environmentally harmful than traditional oil supplies; the position he has taken with regard to the EU's fuel quality directive ranking of tar sands oil; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13664/13]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Article 7(a) of the Fuel Quality Directive 2009/30/EC introduced a requirement for fuel and energy suppliers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and use of transport fuels by at least 6% (compared to 2010 emissions) by the end of 2020.

Under Article 7(a), the European Commission issued a draft implementing directive , in 2011, on the methodology for calculating live-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of fuels. This proposal was put to a vote at the EU Fuel Quality Committee in February 2012 and Ireland supported the proposal. The vote was inconclusive.

The European Commission is undertaking an impact assessment of the implementation proposal and I will re-evaluate Ireland’s position on it in light of the outcome of that assessment .