In the European Palriament in Brussels, MEPs discuss with Philip Owen, DG Environment (EC) on tar sands and land use changes in the Fuel Quality Directive.

Brussels

meeting

EICKHOUT, Bas (Greens/EFA, NL)

emissions of vehicles (T)

oil and gas market (T)

fuel quality (T)

ARSENIS, Kriton (S&D, EL)

Tar sands and land use changes in the Fuel Quality Directive: extracts from the meeting

SOUNDBITE (English), Kriton ARSENIS (S&amp;D, EL), We are taking about an activity that is expected to destroy - its still destroying a lot but its expecting to destroy one quarter of the intact force of this world. We are talking about the destruction of the boreal force of Canada which is one of the most important carbon things in the world and an intact forest. So, so far the Commission proposal does not include a land view coefficient, does not take in to account the whole life circle of transport fuels and the one assessing the emissions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Philip OWEN, European Commission representative, DG Environment, As regards to tar sands the Commission has not curried out its own detail assessment of an appropriate value for tar sands based fuel. Such a value was not included in the welt wile study produced by the joint research centres (...). Nevertheless the consortium is now preparing an update to that study and I understand its will also cover tar sands arrived fuel. The Commission its aware that there are a number of publically available reports that provide additional information on at sands . Well the Commission is still working on the details of the draft implementing measures. I would like to point out the Commissioner Hedegaard in a letter addressed on the 14 of July has taken a political commitment to establish specific default on the tar sands as quickly as possible. she also indicated that this commitment will be reflected and will be proposed to the implementing measures to the member states. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Philip OWEN, European Commission representative, DG Environment, The commission addressed this matter for the end of 2011 , when the results to the up-dated well to will study also covering tar sands and oil fuel will be available. You've asked specifically about the tar sands and the emissions associated with this . I think we have to put this in to its context because we've been doing some reflections our self and looking what other peoples are being doing. And with regard this question ad planed conversion emissions associated with tar sands the US EPA , the Environment Protection Agency estimates that the direct line use impact associated with the mining oil sands in for example Canada can be for service mining some 0.6gr CO2 equivalent per mega joule. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Philip OWEN, European Commission representative, DG Environment, This is less than 1% of the European life cycle green house gas emission for petrol or diesel.. land use change emissions for in situ extractions as suppose to service mining are likely to be substantially smaller and I think that you are aware than the in situ mining accuracy to a major part of oil sand extraction in Canada. So, in conclusion we have considered hybrid method, we haven't reach a conclusion on it yet, and certainly tar sands are well taking in to account and going foreword.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), We are also talking about a signal we as Europe are sending to the investors. And that is now what putting in place. If you know the number for the coming years of investments in tar sands it's 379 billion euros, so 379 bilion euros investments put in place on investing in tar sands. if the EC does not send out a signal now that we are putting foreword a value on tar sands, we are giving the wrong signal to those investors that they can go alone, and waiting for value on 2011 they will than see and postponed-it and in the end will be the abolishment of it , so therefore really making the issue that we need a value now is crucial. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), And Mr Owen when you said that there are publically available reports out that giving a value, I would say its scientific papers. its not a public available report, its scientific papers and that a bit more important that these values are all going in the same direction and we have to really stating that tar sands is more polluting than other forms of oil like diesel or gasoline. And I think that we as Europe if we really want to achieve our longer term green house gases emission we have to put forward our signal now to the investors that investing in tar sands is the wrong way to go.

SOUNDBITE (English), Bas EICKHOUT (Greens/EFA, NL), I think we are saying that by the end of 2011 - which is not so far away - there will be a default value for tar sands this is already a very clear sign to the industries. What we are saying today is that there is no Commission figure available for that, but we are studying this. So industry knowing that they will actually include that in to their planning.