This report, by the European Environment Agency gives statistics on transport biofuel production across a selection of EU countries.
It argues that ’diversion of land from production of other energy crops to production of transport biofuels should...not be encouraged, because other energy crops have a greater overall potential for reducing CO2 emissions.’ Since biofuel crops would take up between 4-13% of EU land to meet the required 5.75% target of the Biofuels Directive, then choices will need to be made between agricultural and biofuels production, and between the objectives of increasing renewable energy supply and conserving biodiversity.
It also points out that the use of long term fallow land for energy crop or intensive food production can lead to increased releases of CO2 as a result of soil disturbance through ploughing.
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