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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