Brussels, 20 September 2022
Primary Food Processors (PFP) took note of the European Parliament’s position on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED), adopted on 14 September 2022, and reiterated the importance of facilitating the use of biomass residues and wastes as part of the sector’s decarbonisation strategy.
The organisation emphasises that primary food processors require practical and flexible pathways to reduce emissions, particularly in rural areas where direct electrification is not always technically or economically feasible.
PFP expressed disappointment that Members of the European Parliament rejected a proposal that would have facilitated the use of biomass residues in stationary industrial installations. The organisation believes such measures would have provided additional opportunities for food processors to reduce emissions while improving energy resilience.
At the same time, PFP welcomed several aspects of the Parliament’s position. In particular, the organisation supported the rejection of the European Commission proposal to assign field emissions to certain non Annex IX residues and wastes. According to PFP, this outcome represents an improvement compared with earlier positions advanced by both the Commission and Member States.
The organisation also supported the decision to make greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements for biomass installations non retroactive, helping to preserve legal certainty and protect existing investments made by industrial operators.
Despite these positive elements, PFP continues to have concerns regarding the practical implementation of the cascading use principle and the increase in greenhouse gas emission reduction thresholds for new biomass installations. The organisation believes that further clarification will be necessary to ensure that future rules remain workable for industrial users of biomass residues.
According to PFP, the use of residues and wastes is particularly important for processing facilities located in rural or isolated regions where access to high voltage electricity infrastructure may be limited. In these situations, residue based energy can provide an important pathway for reducing emissions while maintaining production capacity.
PFP warns against adopting a rigid one size fits all approach to industrial decarbonisation and calls for policies that recognise the diversity of industrial operations, geographical conditions and energy infrastructure across Europe.
The organisation argues that maintaining viable energy options for primary food processors is essential for food security, industrial competitiveness and European food sovereignty. Future renewable energy policies should therefore support practical and realistic pathways towards lower carbon production.
PFP brings together the European Committee of Sugar Manufacturers (CEFS), the European Cocoa Association (ECA), the European Flour Milling Association (European Flour Millers), the European Vegetable Protein Association (EUVEPRO), the European Vegetable Oil and Proteinmeal Industry (FEDIOL), and the European Starch Industry Association (Starch Europe).
PFP members process approximately 220 million tonnes of raw materials and employ more than 120,000 people across the European Union.
