European Union biofuel targets

Biofuels, obtained from renewable resources, have in fact a central place in the European Union proposals for a Common Energy Policy, with a target of 5.75 vol.% of transportation fuel from biosotrrces by 2010 in EU (Biofuels directive 2003/30/Ec) and a possible target of 10 vol.% in 2020. 

In recent years, production of biodiesel has expanded in both the European Union and the United States. In2006, European countries prodnced approximately 5.6bilUon liters of biodiesel compared with 0.86biUion liters produced in the United States (Durret et al., 2008). The future development of biodiesel in Europe is mainly driven by the Renewable Energy Directive, which has a binding target of 10% biofuels in the transport sector until 2020. The main feedstock for biodiesel in Europe is still rapeseed oil, with a share of approximately 70% 13% is covered by soybean oil, and almost 7% comes from waste frying oil and animal fat (Mittelbach, 2010). Soybean oil is the primary source of biodiesel production in the United States (Karmakar et al., 2010). 

Moreover, the European Union has not yet established targets and guidelines concerning biofuels production and emissions levels for the period 2020—30. It has instead called for an improved biomass policy to maximize the resource and an efficient use of biomass in order to deliver robust and verifiable greenhouse gas savings and to guarantee fair competition for the various uses of biomass both in the construction sector, paper and pulp industries, as well as in biochemical and energy production. ... 

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