Canola Council welcomes continued access to EU biodiesel market

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The European Commission published its decision to allow Canadian canola to have continued access to the EU biodiesel market this week.

“This decision means continued access to an important market for Canadian canola,” says Jim Everson, president of the Canola Council of Canada (CCC). “The Canola Council has worked hard on this over the past two years and this confirmation is very good for the entire value chain.”

As part of the Commission’s commitment to greenhouse gas emission reductions, all EU biodiesel feedstocks must demonstrate lifecycle GHG reductions greater than 50 percent compared to fossil diesel as of January 2018, up from 35 percent currently. The decision affirms that Canadian canola is meeting the new target.

The Commission examined a 2016 report on canola’s lifecycle emissions submitted by the Government of Canada. The document, developed through the cooperation of CCC and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, described emissions from the entire canola production line.

“This decision shows the environmental benefits of using canola for biodiesel,” says Everson. “The EU is far ahead of North America in using renewable fuels which creates a good export opportunity for us.”

Provided all information provided by Canada remains accurate, the decision, according to the Official Journal of the European Union, is valid for five years, and enters into force on the twentieth day following its publication.

Average annual exports of seed, oil and meal to the EU over the last three years have totalled approximately $200 million. In 2016, 597,000 tonnes of canola seed and 37,000 tonnes of canola oil were shipped to the EU.

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