Under European Commission Directive 2003/30/EC, biofuels should account for 5.75%, by energy content, of all automotive fuels marketed in 2010. Article 16 of Directive 2003/96/EC allows Member States to adjust their fuel taxation to promote the use of biofuels by offsetting their extra cost compared to petroleum products.

Tax incentives have enabled biofuels to take off in a number of Member States, but are insufficient to reach the targeted objective. These measures are costly for national budgets, a source of disparities between Member States and a barrier to sales of automotive fuels within the EU.

A revision of Directive 2003/30/EC is in progress and will stipulate a minimum content of 10% by 2020, with details yet to be defined. A simultaneous revision of the directive on motor fuel quality proposes the establishment of a new grade of gasoline containing a high oxygen concentration (3.7% vol./vol.), which would accommodate blends containing up to 10% (by volume of ethanol or 22% of ETBE.  The imperative of curbing greenhouse gas emissions due to motor fuels is the focus of much discussion, and could result in a preference for the biofuels offering the best performance in this area. 
Total and Biofuels