The EU agriculture council welcomed commission proposals for a European biomass energy action plan on Tuesday. After a first ministerial discussion of the plan, released in December, they concluded that biomass "offers one of the best means to reduce" Europe's dependence on fossil fuels. The primary goals of the biomass action plan are to fight climate change and boost European energy security. When it took over the EU presidency this month Austria immediately pledged to drive forward discussions on the plan, aiming to show that Europe can achieve energy security without returning to nuclear power.
A very large number of delegations welcomed the proposals, according to the minutes of Tuesday's meeting. Ministers agreed that it would help increase use of renewable energy, while also providing viable alternative markets for European farmers, and improving sustainable development and biodiversity.
Several delegations called for import tariffs to be maintained to ensure the growth of European biomass energy production capacity. This would avoid "excessive imports" of fuels like bioethanol, they stated. Countries such as Brazil can produce vast quantities of bioethanol far more cheaply than European farmers.
Some ministers raised concerns over a recommendation in the action plan for further certification for sustainable sources of energy. This would "increase the bureaucratic burden" on operators, they said. Some delegations called for increased payments under the EU common agricultural policy for farmers growing energy crops.