John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1291. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the EU Commission's policy to cap and phase out all conventional biofuels produced in the EU in spite of their many evident benefits including the role they play in ensuring food security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20283/17]

John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1294. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will he bring forward proposals to halt importation of so called biodiesel based on palm oil in view of the environmental and social impacts associated with this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20286/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1291 and 1294 together.

The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive requires that biofuels must meet strict sustainability criteria to qualify for support and to be counted towards renewable energy targets. Under these criteria all biofuels, including biodiesel produced from palm oil, may not be made from raw materials originating from tropical forests or recently deforested areas, drained peatland, wetland or highly biodiverse areas. 

In addition, the 2015 ILUC Directive limits to 7% the amount of energy from crop based biofuels, whose use could lead to Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC) that Member States can count towards their 2020 renewable energy targets in transport. I anticipate the ILUC Directive will be transposed into Irish legislation by my Department by the deadline of 10 September 2017.

In November 2016, the European Commission published a proposal for a new Renewables Directive that envisages an overall European Union renewable energy target of at least 27% in 2030.  It is proposed in the draft Directive that the amount of energy from crop based biofuels which can be counted towards renewable energy shares in transport (RES-T) in the period after 2020 will be progressively reduced from 7% in 2020 to 3.8% in 2030.

Biofuel production and its use, unless properly regulated, may not deliver required greenhouse gas savings and could impact negatively on food production and land use.  It is important, therefore, that measures are in place to mitigate against environmental risks, such as Indirect Land-Use Change, of certain categories of biofuels.  It is also important that the development of advanced biofuels, which pose little risk of ILUC, are encouraged.  Both the ILUC Directive and the proposed new Renewables Directive contain measures to incentivise the production of such biofuels.