20 marzo 2006

Biofuels strategy


The European Union adopts ambitious biofuels strategy
-By Dr. Ludwig De BraeckeleerSaturday, March 18, 2006-

Earlier this month, the European Commission has adopted a mix of legislative and research measures, known as the "EU Strategy for Biofuels", in order to boost significantly the production of fuels from agricultural raw materials.
This decision builds upon other action plans adopted in the sector of clean energy and seems to indicate the genuine willingness of the European Commission's energy policy makers to actively promote the development of renewable energy, particularly energy from wind, water, solar power and biomass.
According to Loyola de Palacio, former Vice-president of the European Commission, "the voluntarist energy policies (energy-saving, the nuclear program, support for renewables, domestic production) which followed the first oil crisis are no longer sufficient. Imports are therefore going to increase to deal with growing demand. In 20 to 30 years, the EU will be 90 % dependent for oil, 70% for gas and 100 % for coal. And enlargement can only reinforce these trends."
-canadafreepress.com-