EBB: European Commission president favors technology-neutral CO2-emissions standards

The European Biodiesel Board, representing biodiesel and renewable diesel producers in the EU, welcomed in early March the speech of Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, acknowledging the need for a technology-neutral approach in the revision of the CO2 emissions-standards regulation.

The president promised to “speed up work on the 2035 review, with full technology neutrality as a core principle.”

“We saw the European Commission president acknowledge how crucial it is to strike a balance between ambition and pragmatism,” EBB stated. 

“Von der Leyen acknowledged the ‘demand for more flexibility on CO2 targets’ and the need to strike a balance between ambition and pragmatism in the 2025 EU fleet-wide targets for vehicle manufacturers,” the organization continued. “The EBB welcomes the commission’s perspective, and reiterates that this type of flexibility, without letting go of our ambition, should not only apply to the vehicle engines but also to the fuels that propel them.”

Domenico Mininni, the policy director for EBB, added, “It’s good to see the European Commission president acknowledge how crucial it is to strike a balance between ambition and pragmatism. For the competitiveness of the European automotive industry and its broad supply chain, it is crucial to have a regulator that does not gem-pick the winning technology. The promise of technology neutrality, that president von der Leyen made [March 3], shows the commission can fulfill that role.”

Mininni thanked President von der Leyen for acknowledging the current imbalance in the rules.

“Speeding up the review of the 2035 emission targets is crucial to the biodiesel sector,” Mininni said.

“We look forward to a review whereby full technology neutrality is a core principle, so that all CO2-neutral fuels to contribute to the decarbonization of EU road transport,” Mininni added.