Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Meetings on biofuels and Indirect Land-Use Change'.


Ref. Ares(2012)1151049 - 02/10/2012
  
 
 
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From: Stefan Ortiz [mailto:xxxxxx.xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx]  
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2012 5:55 PM 
To: HEDEGAARD Connie (CAB-HEDEGAARD) 
Cc: VIS Peter (CAB-HEDEGAARD); MUELLER Juergen (CAB-HEDEGAARD); DELBEKE Jos (CLIMA); 
Marc Olivier Herman 
Subject: Biofuels: new Oxfam report and European Commission proposal to amend Renewable 
Energy Directive (RED) and Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) 
 
 
Dear Commissioner Hedegaard,  
 
Land used to power European cars with biofuels for one year could produce enough wheat and maize 
to feed 127 million people. This is one of the startling facts contained in 'The Hunger Grains', a report 
on EU biofuels policy published by Oxfam on September 17th. European support for biofuels comes 
at a cost to Europeans of several billion Euros a year. At the same time, Europe’s growing appetite for 
biofuels is pushing up global food prices and driving people off their land, resulting in deeper hunger 
and malnutrition in poor countries.  
 
I am aware that the Commission will soon decide on a proposal to amend the Renewable Energy 
Directive (RED) and Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) to address indirect land use change (ILUC) impacts 
of biofuels. Oxfam welcomes this and believes it is of the utmost importance that the proposal that you 
will adopt achieves a rapid phase-out of the use of biofuels made from food crops and feedstocks in 
direct competition with food for land and water. The proposed 5% cap on first generation biofuels 
contained in the draft proposal that has become public is too high, and would maintain an 
unsustainable pressure on food prices, land and ecosystems. Moreover, this proposal does not 
ensure that biofuels used on the European market will reduce emissions compared to fossil fuels, 
because it fails to introduce greenhouse gas accounting for ILUC in the Renewable Energy Directive.  
 
We call on you to adopt a legislative proposal on ILUC that will make the EU’s renewable energy 
policy sustainable by phasing out the support for biofuels that compete with food immediately, and by 
including emissions caused by indirect land use change in greenhouse gas accounting both under the 
RED and the FQD.  
 
Attached you will find a copy of our report in English; it is also available in Spanish and French (see: 
http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/policy/hunger-grains).  
 
We would be happy to answer any questions you may have.  
 
Sincerely,  
 
Jeremy Hobbs  
Executive Director  
Oxfam International  
Tel +32 (0)2 234 11 10    
 www.oxfam.org/en/eu  
 
[Signed letter attached]  
 

 
 
 
 
Stefan Ortiz | Advocacy Assistant - Essential Services and Economic Justice  
Oxfam EU Advocacy Office | Challenging EU policies to make them work for people in poverty  
 
Visit our web page www.oxfam.org/en/eu  
 
Tel: +32 (0) 2 234 11 19  | Fax +32 (0)2 502 19 41  
Twitter @OxfamEU  
Rue de la Science 4 - 1000 Brussels  
 
 
 
 
Visit the web site at http://www.oxfam.org 
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