European Parliament to vote on reviving 'dirty' label for oilsands
Like a movie monster from the black bog, a European Union directive that would stigmatize "dirty" imports of Canadian bitumen refuses to die.
A vote Tuesday in the European Parliament could reject a compromise draft bill and revive tough fuel quality directive labelling that would target unconventional crude, specifically Alberta's oilsands.
The vote of the full plenary was prompted earlier this month when the European Parliament's environment committee flatly rejected a deal worked out after more than two years of lobbying by Canada.
Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford and International Trade Minister Ed Fast met last week with 25 European Union representatives in advance of the vote.
"He reiterated Canada's position that any measure that provides separate, more onerous treatment for oilsands crude relative to other crude with similar or higher (greenhouse gas) emission intensities is discriminatory and adverse to the FQD's intent," Chris McCluskey, Rickford's spokesman, said in a release.
Under European emissions rules, that dirty oil designation would make Canadian oilsands imports deeply unattractive to Europe's refineries.
"EU legislation requires a reduction of the greenhouse gas intensity of the fuels used in vehicles by six per cent by 2020," using 2010 as a baseline, says the European Commission web site.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/e...n-reviving-dirty-label-for-oilsands-1.2874090
Like a movie monster from the black bog, a European Union directive that would stigmatize "dirty" imports of Canadian bitumen refuses to die.
A vote Tuesday in the European Parliament could reject a compromise draft bill and revive tough fuel quality directive labelling that would target unconventional crude, specifically Alberta's oilsands.
The vote of the full plenary was prompted earlier this month when the European Parliament's environment committee flatly rejected a deal worked out after more than two years of lobbying by Canada.
Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford and International Trade Minister Ed Fast met last week with 25 European Union representatives in advance of the vote.
"He reiterated Canada's position that any measure that provides separate, more onerous treatment for oilsands crude relative to other crude with similar or higher (greenhouse gas) emission intensities is discriminatory and adverse to the FQD's intent," Chris McCluskey, Rickford's spokesman, said in a release.
Under European emissions rules, that dirty oil designation would make Canadian oilsands imports deeply unattractive to Europe's refineries.
"EU legislation requires a reduction of the greenhouse gas intensity of the fuels used in vehicles by six per cent by 2020," using 2010 as a baseline, says the European Commission web site.
http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/politics/e...n-reviving-dirty-label-for-oilsands-1.2874090
