LONDON, ENGLAND — The E.U. on June 4 published the GAFTA SUSTAINABILITY SCHEME that enables certification for compliance with the E.U. sustainability criteria under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The scheme was accepted by the European Commission and member states present at the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels and Bioliquids on June 3.

"Now operators have the option to use GAFTA’s voluntary scheme, which demonstrates that consignments of biofuels comply with the sustainability criteria set out in E.U. legislation,” said Pamela Kirby Johnson, director general, GAFTA.

The scheme can cover all feedstocks suitable for biofuels production and has a global scope. The scheme covers the trading, transport and storage stages of agricultural feedstock from farm gate to first processor. This scheme will be made available at the transparency platform and on the GAFTA website.

The new RED addendum has been added to the Gafta Trade Assurance Scheme already in existence since 2005. The new GAFTA scheme was assessed as meeting all the criteria and the Decision 324/2014 will remain valid for five years. This decision shall enter into force on the 20th day following that of its publication.