RFA seeks to intervene in ePure’s suit against the EU’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation

In Belgium, the Renewable Fuels Association on Thursday filed a petition to intervene in support of a legal challenge brought by European ethanol producers against the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation. By arbitrarily assuming crop-based biofuels like ethanol have the same lifecycle carbon emissions as the dirtiest fossil-based marine fuels, the EU regulation effectively bans the use of renewable, crop-based marine fuels as a tool for decarbonizing the maritime sector.

RFA’s application to intervene in the proceedings supports the challenge brought by ePURE, a trade association representing European ethanol producers, and Pannonia Bio, one of Europe’s largest ethanol producers. Their application seeks to annul the relevant provisions of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which was adopted by the EU in 2023 and is set to take effect in 2025.