Bioenergy Europe (formerly known as AEBIOM) is the voice of European bioenergy. It aims to develop a sustainable bioenergy market based on fair business conditions. Founded in 1990, Bioenergy Europe is a non-profit, Brussels-based international organisation bringing together more than 40 associations and 90 companies, as well as academia and research institutes from across Europe.
Contact :
| Sarah Cohen Office and Membership Manager European Biomass Association Place du Champ de Mars 2 1050 Brussels +32 2 318 41 00 info@bioenergyeurope.org |
| https://bioenergyeurope.org/https://bioenergyeurope.org/ |
March 2017
Co-ordination of energy-, agricultureal-, climate protection and fiscal policiesy
Dear Mister President.
In the past the European Union reached many achievements for the benefit of the European citizens. One such success is the introduction of a common European currency for 12 members of the Union. This result could be achieved thanks to a strong leadership of the European Commission. – reducing green house gas emissions and thus complying with the Kyoto protocol,
– maintaining the security of energy supply by limiting the import dependency,
– presenting new perspectives for the European agriculture.
– the goals of the Kyoto agreement will not be reached,
– the energy import dependency will increase from 50% now up to 70% by 2030,
– renewable energy sources will never be doubled as proposed in the Commission White Paper on renewables (COM(97)599) and
– agricultural overproduction will go on in connection with the enlargement and the rather liberal trade policy, that undermines the community preference for agricultural products.
* to reach the goals of the Kyoto agreement
* to prevent the increase of energy import dependency to 70% by 2020
* to reach a doubling of the renewable energy sources as this was proposed by the
Commission in the White Paper of 1997 and
* to avoid an agricultural overproduction in connection with the enlargement. and the rather liberal trade policy, that undermines the community preference for agricultural products Therefore AEBIOM proposes among else the following actions.
Action 1 : Climate-; use Ttaxation as strong steering instrument
The case of Scandinavian countries where a CO2 tax has been introduced for many years shows that such instrument is powerful to Examples in several member states show that C02 taxes of 70 Euro per ton C02 on fossil fuels for heating lead to a change of the heating habits of the population in favour of renewables. There are ways to implement a CO2 tax while maintaining the international competitiveness of the private sector.
Action 2: Agriculture and forestry-; Aa consisteant concept for energy from agriculture and forestry
Agriculture is expected to contribute to more than 50% of the objectives for renewable energy sources, according to the Commission White Paper. Such a concept could comprise
– Implement accompanying measures for information, education and training of farmers in the field of new opportunities given by biomass,
– give a possibility to farmers to change from cattle to energy crops, by adapting the premium schemes (cattle premiums on grass land converted into energy crops premiums).
-a reduction of the number of primes for cattle production,
-the payment of identical primes for energy crops on arable or pasture land,
-the increase of the biomass production of solid and liquid biomass in accordance with the creation of a market for renewables by minimum quotas for electricity, heat and transportation fuels,
-a secure a provision of the needed biomass be it( wood chips, rape seed, corn, etc..) or what ever, not dependent on the annual set aside rate,
– financial incentives for the processing industry to builds new installations to transform convert biomass to heat, electricity or liquid biofuels,
– and processing primes, if necessary, in the starting phase of these industries.
The proposed change in the tax policy would support the creation of the markets. Also the – reduction of subsidized exports of agricultural commodities in order to would help to increase the supply of raw material for the energy market.
Action 3 : Energy -; Better financial support for renewablesRES in the Union
Annex
This paper is supported by the AEBIOM members :
1. Austria ABA, Austrian Biomass Association
2. Belgium BELBIOM, Belgian Biomass Association
3. Bulgaria BBA, Bulgarian Biomass Association
4. Czech Republic CZ-BIOM, Czech Biomass Association
5. Denmark DANBIO, Danish Biomass Association
6. Estonia EBÛ, Estonian Biomass Association
7. Finland FINBIO, Finnish Bioenergy Association
8. France AFB, French Biomass Association
9. Germany FIB, Federal Initiative Bioenergy
10. Greece HELLABIOM, Greek Biomass Association
11. Ireland IrBEA, Irish Bioenergy Association
12. Italy ITABIA, Italian Biomass Association
13. Norway NOBIO, Norwegian Bioenergy Association
14. Poland POLBIOM, Polish Biomass Association
15. Slovak Republic SK-BIOM, Slovak Association for Biomass
16. Slovenia SB, Slovenian Biomass Association
17. Spain ADABE, Association for extension of Biomass in Spain
18. Sweden SVEBIO, Swedish Bioenergy Association
19. Switzerland SBV, Swiss Farmer’s Union
20. The Netherlands – NL-BEA – Netherlands Bio-Energy Association
21. United Kingdom, British Biogen
4) Climate policy is part of the energy policy
The problem of security of supply of energy and the high C02 emissions have the same roots: the excessive utilization of fossil fuels. Therefore strategies to reduce this utilization by curbing the demand for energy and increasing the supply of RES will help to alleviate both problems. This interrelationship underlines the necessity to develope an integrated approach to tackle these problems. Taking into account that biomass represents 80% of the growth potential of RES it is obvious that only a concept, well coordinated between agriculture, energy, environemnet and fiscal policy can succeed in complying with the Kyoto Protocol.
