The governments of France, Germany and the Netherlands have called on the European Union (EU) to adopt stricter checks on overseas suppliers of biofuel as the bloc investigates allegedly fraudulent imports from Asia, Reuters reported.
The European biodiesel industry has reported a surge in biodiesel imports from China, which it claims involve supplies produced with virgin oil despite being declared as made with recycled oils and fats.
In a note submitted to a meeting of EU energy ministers on 30 May, France, Germany and the Netherlands said it was necessary to tighten checks on biofuel production sites “wherever they are located in the world”, the 31 May report said.
Certification of foreign biofuel as sustainable should be “rejected in case of refusal of access to the premises”, the note said.
Although no objections to the proposal had been raised at the meeting, no action had been taken, with the matter left with the European Commission (EC) to follow up, an EU diplomat was quoted as saying.
The EC had not immediately responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
The EC is conducting several investigations into biofuel imports, including one on biodiesel from Indonesia allegedly circumventing EU duties and another on alleged dumping of low-priced biodiesel from China.
Some US producers had also reported an increase in shipments of recycled oil from China, Reuters wrote.
The EU biodiesel industry, which the EC says is worth €31bn (US$33.6bn)/year, has been the subject of regular disputes with trading partners, the report said.
