The European Parliament (EP) has voted to reject the delegated act on soyabean oil, which would have classified the oil as a high indirect land-use change (iLUC) risk biofuel feedstock.
Adopted by the European Commission (EC) on 10 April 2026, the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2680 was set to amend Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807 under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).
The amendment maintained the classification of soyabeans as “high risk” in terms of iLUC and established a progressive reduction of biofuels derived from the crop until 2030.
Its main purpose was to update how the EU identified high iLUC risk biofuel feedstocks and to establish a pathway for reducing their contribution to EU renewable energy targets.
Welcoming the EP vote on 8 July, a joint coalition of EU organisations – including agricultural commodities trade association COCERAL, farmers’ association COPA-COGECA, feed manufacturers’ federation FEFAC, seed crushers and oil processors’ federation FEDIOL and the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) – said it would protect the European Union (EU) soyabean value chain.
In a joint press release, the coalition said the vote sent a strong signal in favour of evidence-based policymaking and greater coherence between the EU’s renewable energy, agriculture and food security objectives.
“It safeguards the competitiveness of the European soya value chain, protects farmers and processors, and supports the EU’s ambition to strengthen domestic protein production and strategic autonomy,” the statement added.
In a previous statement on 18 June, the coalition said soyabeans were a “cornerstone” of Europe’s ambition to strengthen its protein supply, adding that production expansion was driven by demand for soyabean meal which represented 80% of the crop.
“The economic viability of EU soyabean processing depends … on both outputs: soyabean meal for the feed sector and soyabean oil,” the statement added.
The organisations said they would now call on the EC to develop a transparent, scientifically robust and coherent framework that supported climate and energy objectives and sustainable European protein production.
Following the EP’s rejection of the delegated act (by adopting a motion opposing it), the delegated act as it is stood could not be adopted by member states and the EC would have to draft a new proposal, a European Parliament spokesperson told OFI.
The EP is the EU’s directly elected legislative body and the EC is the EU’s executive arm, which proposes new laws and implements EU policies. The EP and the Council of the EU – which represents governments of the EU – must both approve a law before it can be adopted.
