The European Parliament and European Council Regulation No. 2009/28/EC sets obligatory conditions that must be met in the production of biofuel concerning the protection of the environment.
Biofuels meeting the criteria of sustainability if showing a reduction of greenhouse gases emission:
- 35 % from 31 December 2017;
- 50 % from 1 January 2018;
- 60 % from 1 January 2018 in case of biofuels manufactured in a stationary source that was put into operation on 1 January 2017 or later;
- Biomass meeting the criteria of sustainability must not come from lands with a high degree of biological variety. The land with a high degree of biological variety is the land that had as of 1 January 2008 or later one of the following statuses:
- Forest or other forested land with original species where we cannot see any signs of human activity and where the ecological processes have not been significantly disturbed,
- Grass land with a high degree of biological varienty.
Biomass meeting the criteria of sustainability must not be grown on lands with a great reserve of carbon and must not come from lands that was peatbog as of 1 January 2008.