PORTUGAL ON BIOFUELS SUSTAINABILITY

UNCLAS LISBON 002600 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KGHG EAGR SENV ENRG TRGY EUN POL PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL ON BIOFUELS SUSTAINABILITY REF: SECSTATE 98110 ¶1. (U) Portugal is actively engaged in EU efforts to reach consensus on biofuels mandates and sustainability criteria by the end of 2008, according to officials of the Ministries of Environment and Economy. Fausto Brito e Abreu of the Ministry of Environment highlighted to Pol/Econoff the Prime Minister's 2007 commitment to achieve a level of ten percent biofuels within the transportation fuels supply by 2010, a figure higher than that now sought by the EU. ¶2. (U) Bento de Morais Sarmento of the Ministry of Economy said Portugal supports the developing two-step approach for implementing minimum greenhouse gas emissions savings standards from the use of biofuels. Most EU delegations will support an initial requirement of least thirty-five percent reduction in greenhouse emissions from the use of biofuels, but there are differing views about mandating at least fifty percent reduction from their use as of 1 January 2015. Sarmento said Portugal prefers the increased future target be left to a subsequent review. ¶3. (U) The Ministry of Economy has the lead for biofuels and other renewables issues, and Sarmento and Brito e Abreu reported no differences in their respective ministries' positions, while Antonio Cerca Miguel of the Ministry of Agriculture said Agriculture currently only monitors biofuels developments. STEPHENSON