ReFuelEU Aviation and taxonomy
16.3.2021
Question for written answer E-001434/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Sara Skyttedal (PPE)
The Green Deal outlines the need to cut transport emissions by 90% by 2050, and to step up the production and deployment of sustainable alternative transport fuels.
Despite the sustainability criteria in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and rewards for emissions reductions – including for sustainable aviation fuels – in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and provisions on certain fuels in Council Directive 2003/96/EC[1], the Commission clearly considers that there are limitations and uncertainties surrounding aviation fuels.
Via the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, the Commission wants to boost the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels. At the same time, however, in the draft delegated act on taxonomy that the Commission published in November, biofuel production is classified as a transitional activity. There is another contradiction here, too, because bioenergy is classified as sustainable in Regulation (EU) 2020/852[2]. Furthermore, Directive (EU) 2018/2001[3] already has clear sustainability criteria for the application of biofuels. Classifying biofuels as a transitional activity therefore gives rise to a great deal of confusion with regard to the interpretation of other directives and regulations.
In the light of the foregoing:
How can biofuels for aviation leverage long-term investment to obtain the market share needed to reduce aviation emissions if the taxonomy classifies biofuels as a transitional activity?
How can ReFuelEU Aviation, the taxonomy and RED II be compatible with each other?