Ukraine has set a course on the decarbonisation of transport and the gradual approximation to the EU acquis in the field of renewable energy. The key requirements of the RED II and RED III Directives and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/996 establish stringent rules on the sustainability of biofuels/biocomponents and biogas, supply-chain traceability, and the verification of greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. At the national level it translates to the gradual introduction of the obligations for fuel-market participants regarding the share of biocomponents in motor fuels and the confirmation of compliance with sustainability criteria.
This creates both a regulatory foundation and a window of opportunity for developing a competitive market for sustainable biofuels in Ukraine, integrated into the European ecosystem.
Ukraine’s current system for confirming the origin of biofuels and compliance with sustainability criteria is currently fragmented, non-standardised, and largely “paper-based”; there is no single approved national procedure for verifying compliance with sustainability criteria for liquid biofuels that would address the set of relevant challenges outlined in the publication.
The author develops recommendations on the issues of mass balance, digital traceability, integration with the Union Database, auditor accreditation, and the introduction of a minimum dataset. Implementing these recommendations will enable Ukrainian sustainable biofuels to access the EU market, reduce regulatory risks, and contribute to transport decarbonisation.
The publication will be particularly useful for:
- producers of liquid biofuels, biocomponents, and biogas;
- suppliers of motor fuels and logistics operators;
- public authorities involved in shaping policy in the field of renewable energy and transport, as well as auditors and certification bodies;
- agricultural and forestry enterprises that supply feedstock or plan to certify their waste and residues;
- analysts, consultants, and researchers working on decarbonisation, climate policy, and energy security;
- investors and financial institutions;
- municipalities and transport operators considering a transition to sustainable fuels.
