In a statement released on March 18, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that after the call for tenders published in the JOCE in February 2005, with new approvals for 800 000 tonnes (320 000 tonnes of bioethanol and 480 000 tonnes of biodiesel), the requests received have been for a quantity of 2.2 million tonnes of biofuel.

 AGPB, AGPM and CGB are pleased with the dynamic development of the biofuel industry and have noted that the quantities proposed were ahead of the schedule announced by the Government.
If current biofuel production, i.e. approximately 500 000 tonnes, is added to the requests received, this is almost 3 million tonnes of biofuel, i.e. the quantity needed to meet the European objective for a 5.75% biofuel blend with petrol by 2010.
AGPB, AGPM and CGB have therefore called on the Government to make an immediate commitment, not only for 2007, but also for the period 2008-2010.
Under these circumstances France will be leader on the European Union market which amounts to more than 10 million tonnes, and the future industrial parties working with agricultural raw materials (wheat, maize and sugar beet) will be able to start building their industrial plants now.
This is a key decision needed for the CAPEX of some one billion euros and which will see thousands of new jobs created.
France, therefore, would no longer be reprimanded by the European Commission for being behind the objectives of the EU Directive on the use of biofuels.
 
Contacts presse : 
AGPB :Pascal Hurbault             01 44 31 16 25
AGPM :Béatrice Guenebeaud    01 44 31 10 96
CGB :Catherine Ducoloné        01 44 69 41 36