A European Liquid Fuels Strategy for a sustainable, affordable and resilient low-carbon transition

Background

The EESC:

1. calls for an EU strategy on liquid fuels that ensures the transition from fossil fuels to decarbonised and renewable alternatives, addressing sustainability, affordability and reliability across all modes of transport;
2. observes that such strategy would not only support climate goals, but primarily help diversify energy sources, while improving security of supply, as well as stimulate renewable investments, promote circular economy, standardise biofuel and e-fuel production for cross-border trade together with aligning it with sustainability, and serve as alternative where electrification is challenging;
3. recommends improving the efficiency of decarbonised and renewable liquid fuel supply chains by improving feedstock sourcing, blending and storage, and by optimising logistics through industrial hubs;
4. stresses the need of using decarbonised and renewable liquid fuels existing infrastructure, which is able to accommodate sustainable liquid fuels (SLFs), in order to minimise the high costs to society;
5. calls for unlocking the full potential of sustainable biomass, and ensuring open dialogues with key industries;
6. emphasises the importance of reducing the production costs of decarbonised and renewable fuels by ensuring cost-efficient access to clean electricity and feedstocks, scaling up production plant capacity, while leveraging EU R&D initiatives, including the EU ETS Innovation Fund, to drive innovation and investments in low-carbon technologies for SLF production;
7. calls for establishing training programmes and educational initiatives through social dialogue, to enhance the skills of the workforce, improve employability and create ‘green decent jobs’ essential for the economy.