(1)

Directives 98/70/EC and 2009/28/EC both lay down sustainability criteria for biofuels. Provisions of Articles 7b, 7c and Annex IV of Directive 98/70/EC are similar to provisions of Articles 17, 18 and Annex V of Directive 2009/28/EC.

(2)

Where biofuels and bioliquids are to be taken into account for the purposes referred to in Article 17(1)(a), (b) and (c) of Directive 2009/28/EC, Member States should require economic operators to show the compliance of biofuels and bioliquids with the sustainability criteria set out in Article 17(2) to (5) of Directive 2009/28/EC.

(3)

Recital 76 of Directive 2009/28/EC states that the imposition of an unreasonable burden on industry should be avoided and voluntary schemes can help create efficient solutions for proving compliance with these sustainability criteria.

(4)

The Commission may decide that a voluntary national or international scheme demonstrates that consignments of biofuel comply with the sustainability criteria set out in Article 17(3) to (5) of Directive 2009/28/EC or that a voluntary national or international scheme to measure greenhouse gas emission savings contains accurate data for the purposes of Article 17(2) of this Directive.

(5)

The Commission may recognise such a voluntary scheme for a period of five years.

(6)

When an economic operator provides proof or data obtained in accordance with a voluntary scheme that has been recognised by the Commission, to the extent covered by the recognition decision, a Member State should not require the supplier to provide further evidence of compliance with the sustainability criteria.

(7)

The ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet Scheme’ was submitted on 4 April 2012 to the Commission with the request for recognition. This scheme covers cereals, oil seeds and sugar beet produced in the United Kingdom up to the first point of delivery of these crops. The recognised scheme should be made available at the transparency platform established under Directive 2009/28/EC. The Commission should take into account considerations of commercial sensitivity and may decide to only partially publish the scheme.

(8)

Assessment of the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet Scheme’ found it to adequately cover the sustainability criteria in Article 7b(3), (4) and (5) of Directive 98/70/EC and Article 17(3), (4) and (5) of Directive 2009/28/EC, as well as applying up to the first point of delivery of these crops a mass balance methodology in line with the requirements of Article 7c(1) of Directive 98/70/EC and Article 18(1) of Directive 2009/28/EC. The scheme does not cover Article 7b(2) of Directive 98/70/EC and Article 17(2) of Directive 2009/28/EC but gives accurate data on two elements necessary for the purposes of Article 7b(2) of Directive 98/70/EC and Article 17(2) of Directive 2009/28/EC, in particular, the geographic area the crops come from and the annualised emissions from carbon stock changes caused by land-use change. A small percentage of members of the scheme do not cover the sustainability criteria for part of their land. The scheme indicates the status of full or partial compliance of the land of its members in its online member checker database and shows compliance of consignments with the sustainability criteria on the combinable crops passport, also referred to as post-harvest declaration.

(9)

The evaluation of the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet Scheme’ found that it meets adequate standards of reliability, transparency and independent auditing.

(10)

Any additional sustainability elements covered by the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Combinable Crops & Sugar Beet Scheme’ are not part of the consideration of this Decision. These additional sustainability elements are not mandatory to show compliance with sustainability requirements provided for by Directives 98/70/EC and 2009/28/EC,