Fuel Policies in the EU: Lessons Learned from the Past and Outlook for the Future

Abstract

This chapter will look at the lessons learned from past and present EU decision making in the area of cleaner conventional and renewable fuels as well as the problems confronting policy makers in trying to move toward low carbon fuels. Today we are tasked with finding low carbon substitutes for fossil fuels yet most existing replacements are not issue free nor do they necessarily fit total low carbon requirements. Many would also say that the focus of our low carbon search should not be on existing fuel products and traditional transport modes but rather on new transport solutions and demand management options. Without a doubt the feat ahead is by far more complex than any challenge to the fuels industry or policy makers previously. We are now confronted with the need to take an entirely new approach to liquid fuels and their role in society within a short time horizon. Hence we have to completely re-think the role of liquid fossil fuels in meeting societal demands for transport energy. As in all system changes this must allow for transitional periods and adaptation steps while innovation and scale up is streamlined. It must also go hand and hand with simultaneous efforts to manage demand and implement mandatory efficiency requirements across Europe as no technology or single product will solve the fuel de-carbonization challenge.