The Commission decided to send letters of formal notice to Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia for failing to fully transpose EU rules reinforcing sustainability of biofuels (Directive (EU) 2015/1513).
This Directive aims to reduce the risk of indirect land use change linked to biofuel production. Indirect land use change occurs when agricultural land used for growing crops for food or feed purposes starts to be used for growing crops for biofuel production instead – increasing the pressure to use other (unused) land to grow crops for food and feed purposes in order to meet demand for food and feed, which has implications for greenhouse gas emissions.
The Directive also prepares the transition towards advanced biofuels produced from materials, such as waste and residues. In September 2015, Member States agreed to transpose EU legislation and communicate national implementing measures to the Commission by 10 September 2017. The Member States concerned now have two months to reply to the concerns raised by the Commission. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to send a reasoned opinion.