Germany Supports EU Biofuel Goals

The European Union has set a target for biofuels to make up 10 percent of all vehicle fuel by 2020.

"It always helps to have objectives," said State Transport Secretary Matthias von Randow.

The goal "helps us make progress, without a figure to aim for we couldn't move forwards," he told reporters.

However the minister stressed that Germany was aware that biofuels are only "a limited response to a complex problem," posed by global warming.

"The current biofuels, the first generation, can only play a limited role in this strategy," he said.

Other German governmental sources took the same line, stressing the necessity to consider the social and environmental "durability" criteria so that the question of food supply is addressed.

"We think there must be good arguments on the use of biofuels in the EU," one governmental source said.

"Only around two percent of agricultural land worldwide is used for biofuels, which shows that the rise in food prices is not caused by biofuels," the source added.

The European Environment Agency, advisors to the European Commission, earlier this month recommended that the EU suspend its 10 percent biofuels target.

View the AFP story by clicking here.

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