EU says can hit biofuels goal without conflicts

By Gerard Wynn

BRDO, Slovenia (Reuters) - The European Union can meet its 2020 target to get one-tenth of all transport fuel from biofuels without adding to soaring food prices and harming rainforests, the EU's environment chief said on Saturday.

EU leaders agreed the target last year in an effort to fight climate change, and ministers are now debating how to reach the goal while avoiding unwanted trade-offs such as stealing land from food production and tropical rainforests.

Scientists at the European Environment Agency, the EU body which advises on the environment, recommended on Thursday that the target be dropped.

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas acknowledged the EEA report but remained supportive of the target.

"It's well-intentioned. If you have the sustainability provision I think it's perfectly alright," he told Reuters on the fringes of an informal meeting from April 11-12 of 13 EU environment ministers in Slovenia.

The EU's executive Commission proposed in January certain minimum biofuel standards -- or sustainability criteria -- and fresh proposals are expected for an EU meeting on May 7.

The draft standards included a condition that biofuels must cut emissions by at least 35 percent, not threaten rainforests and take account of food prices. Possible new amendments included an emissions cut compared to gasoline of 40-50 percent, various sources close to the talks said on Saturday.

German environment minister Sigmar Gabriel was also supportive. "We can meet the 10 percent target through biofuel production in the European Union (and imports) ... which do not lead to a conflict with food or rainforests," he said.