Commission Implementing Decision of 19 July 2011 on the recognition of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme for demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria under Directives 2009/28/EC and 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2011/438/EU)
Grade B
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Address https://gelex.eu/eli/EU/decision/2011/438@2011-07-19/en
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC, and in particular Article 18(6) thereof,
Having regard to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels as amended by the Directive 2009/30/EC, and in particular Article 7c(6) thereof,
After consulting the Advisory Committee established by Article 25, paragraph 2 of Directive 2009/28/EC,
Whereas:
(1) Directives 2009/28/EC and 2009/30/EC both lay down sustainability criteria for biofuels. When reference is made to the provisions of Articles 17 and 18 and Annex V to Directive 2009/28/EC this should be construed as the reference also to the similar provisions of Articles 7a, 7b and 7c and Annex IV to Directive 2009/30/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), Member States shall 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 creating 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 biofuels 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 5 years.
(6) When an economic operator provides proof or data obtained in accordance with a scheme that has been recognised by the Commission, to the extent covered by that recognition decision, a Member State shall not require the supplier to provide further evidence of compliance with the sustainability criteria.
(7) The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (hereinafter ISCC) scheme was submitted on 18 March 2011 to the Commission with the request for recognition. The scheme has a global scope and can cover a wide range of different biofuels. The recognised scheme will be made available at the transparency platform established under Directive 2009/28/EC. The Commission will take into account considerations of commercial sensitivity and may decide to only partially publish the scheme.
(8) Assessment of the ISCC scheme found it to adequately cover the sustainability criteria of Directive 2009/28/EC, as well as applying a mass balance methodology in line with the requirements of Article 18(1) of the Directive 2009/28/EC.
(9) The evaluation of the ISCC scheme found that it meets adequate standards of reliability, transparency and independent auditing and also complies with the methodological requirements in Annex V to Directive 2009/28/EC.
(10) Any additional sustainability elements covered by the ISCC scheme are not part of the consideration of this Decision. These additional sustainability criteria are not mandatory to show compliance with sustainability requirements set up in Directive 2009/28/EC. The Commission may at a later stage take a view on whether the scheme also contains accurate data for the purpose of information on measures taken for issues referred to in the second paragraph, second sentence of Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28/EC,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The voluntary scheme International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme for which the request for recognition was submitted to the Commission on 18 March 2011 demonstrates that consignments of biofuels comply with the sustainability criteria as laid down in Article 17(3)(a), (b) and (c) and Article 17(4) and (5) of Directive 2009/28/EC and Article 7b(3)(a), (b) and (c) and Article 7b(4) and (5) of Directive 98/70/EC. The scheme also contains accurate data for purposes of Article 17(2) of Directive 2009/28/EC and Article 7b(2) of Directive 98/70/EC. Furthermore, it may be used for demonstrating compliance with Article 18(1) of Directive 2009/28/EC and Article 7c(1) of Directive 98/70/EC.
Article 2
1. The Decision is valid for a period of 5 years after it enters into force. If the scheme, after adoption of Commission decision, undergoes changes to its contents in a way that might affect the basis of this Decision, such changes shall be notified to the Commission without delay. The Commission will assess the notified changes with a view to establish whether the scheme is still adequately covering the sustainability criteria for which it is recognised.
2. If it has been clearly demonstrated that the scheme has not implemented elements considered to be decisive for this Decision and if severe and structural breach of those elements has taken place, the Commission reserves the right to revoke its Decision.
Article 3
This Decision enters into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Done at Brussels, 19 July 2011. For the Commission The President José Manuel Barroso
Versions
Cited by
- Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2018 (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato — Italy) — Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali (Case C-242/17) Notice · Grade B
(Reference for a preliminary rulingEnvironmentPromotion of the use of energy from renewable sourcesBioliquids used for a thermal energy plantDirective 2009/28/ECArticle 17Sustainability criteria for bioliquidsArticle 18National sustainability certification systemsImplementing Decision 2011/438/EUVoluntary sustainability certification systems for biofuels and bioliquids approved by the European CommissionNational legislation requiring intermediary operators to submit sustainability certificatesArticle 34 TFEUFree movement of goods)2018/C 436/11Language of the case: Italian Consiglio di Stato Ap
- Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 4 October 2018 (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato — Italy) — Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali (Case C-242/17) Notice · Grade B
Article 18(7) of Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC, read in conjunction with Commission Implementing Decision 2011/438/EU of 19 July 2011 on the recognition of the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) system for demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria under Directives 2009/28/EC and 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, must be interpreted as meani
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
The dispute calls for an examination of the relationship between two kinds of sustainability certification scheme for bioliquids: national schemes, on the one hand, and voluntary schemes which the Commission approves, on the other. In particular, the Court is required to interpret the scope of Article 18(7) of Directive 2009/28/EC, in conjunction with Commission Implementing Decision 2011/438/EU.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Implementing Decision 2011/438
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
In support of its appeal, LEGO argues: Movendi cannot be categorised as an economic operator within the meaning of the Decree of 23 January 2012, since it operates merely as an intermediary in order to obtain, on behalf of LEGO, the best offer for bioliquid available on the market. Movendi does not even form part of the supply chain because it did not physically handle the bioliquid consignments which were delivered directly to LEGO by the supplier companies. The supplier companies signed up to the voluntary (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) scheme (the ISCC scheme), whic
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Does EU law, and more specifically Article 18(7) of Directive 2009/28/EC, in conjunction with Commission Decision 2011/438/EU of 19 July 2011, preclude national provisions, such as the Ministerial Decree of 23 January 2012, and in particular Articles 8 and 12 thereof, which impose specific requirements that are both different from and more extensive than the requirements which are satisfied by signing up to a voluntary scheme which is the subject of a decision of the European Commission adopted in accordance with Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28?
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
The referring court asks whether Article 18(7) of Directive 2009/28, in conjunction with Implementing Decision 2011/438, precludes national legislation, like the Decree of 23 January 2012, which imposes on economic operators specific obligations that are both different from and more extensive than those of a voluntary certification scheme for the sustainability of bioliquids, approved by the Commission under Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
In order to answer that question, it is necessary to determine, in turn: whether Implementing Decision 2011/438 is applicable to the dispute, directly or as a result of a reference in national legislation; the legal position of operators who use the voluntary ISCC scheme; whether national legislation, such as the Italian legislation, may impose conditions additional to those imposed by a voluntary scheme; whether, if they are permitted, those national conditions are compatible with the prohibition in Article 34 TFEU.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Direct disapplication of Implementing Decision 2011/438 and reference to that decision in national legislation
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
The national court takes the view that Implementing Decision 2011/438 is applicable to the facts of the main proceedings. However, that assertion should be qualified.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Implementing Decision 2011/438 was adopted pursuant to Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28, which permits the Commission to decide that national or international voluntary schemes demonstrate that consignments of biofuel fulfil the sustainability criteria laid down in Article 17(3) to (5) of Directive 2009/28, or that they contain accurate data for the purposes of Article 17(2) of that directive (to measure the greenhouse gas emission saving).
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
The ISCC scheme was submitted to the Commission on 18 March 2011 for recognition as a global voluntary scheme for a wide variety of biofuels. The Commission conducted an assessment of the scheme, which had a favourable outcome, and finally recognised the scheme in Implementing Decision 2011/438.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
In accordance with Article 1 of Implementing Decision 2011/438, the voluntary ISCC scheme demonstrates that consignments of biofuels comply with the sustainability criteria as laid down in Article 17(2) to (5), and, furthermore, it may be used for demonstrating compliance with Article 18(1) of Directive 2009/28.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Implementing Decision 2011/438 recognises the ISCC scheme solely for the purposes of establishing the sustainability of biofuels but not of bioliquids. In 2011, the second subparagraph of Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28 provided for that possibility alone. Owing to the differences between biofuels and bioliquids, that Decision — whose wording is clear in this regard — cannot be interpreted as covering both categories.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
LEGO benefited from the green certificate incentive scheme during the three-year period from 2012 to 2014, by using a bioliquid (palm oil), not a biofuel, to fuel its thermal energy plant. Accordingly, it could not rely on Implementing Decision 2011/438, which, I repeat, only covered the ISCC scheme as a voluntary certification scheme for the sustainability of biofuels and not bioliquids.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
The voluntary ISCC scheme is a complete scheme which allows certification of compliance with all the sustainability criteria and the use of the MB method. That is confirmed by Article 1 of Implementing Decision 2011/438, according to which that scheme demonstrates that consignments of biofuels comply with the sustainability criteria as laid down in Article 17(2) to (5), and furthermore, it may be used for demonstrating compliance with Article 18(1) of Directive 2009/28/EC. The documents explaining the operation of the ISCC scheme also confirm that it is a complete voluntary scheme.
- Opinion of Advocate General Campos Sánchez-Bordona delivered on 16 May 2018 Case C‑242/17 Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare, Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico, Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali, interveners: ED & F Man Liquid Products Italia Srl, Unigrà Srl, Movendi Srl (Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Council of State, Italy)) Opinion · Grade B
Commission Implementing Decision 2011/438/EU of 19 July 2011 on the recognition of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme for demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria under Directives 2009/28/EC and 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council was applicable only to the trade in biofuels but not to the trade in bioliquids, unless the law of a Member State made it possible to extend to bioliquids the voluntary scheme approved by that decision, a matter which it is for the national court to verify.
- Request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato (Italy) lodged on 8 May 2017 — Legatoria Editoriale Giovanni Olivotto (LEGO) SpA v Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) SpA and Others (Case C-242/17) Notice · Grade B
Does EU law, and more specifically Article 18(7) of Directive 2009/28/EC, in conjunction with Commission Decision 2011/438/EU of 19 July 2011, preclude national provisions, such as the Ministerial Decree of 23 January 2012, and in particular Articles 8 and 12 thereof, which impose specific requirements that are both different from and more extensive than the requirements which are satisfied by signing up to a voluntary scheme which is the subject of a decision of the European Commission adopted in accordance with Article 18(4) of Directive 2009/28/EC?
- Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) 4 October 2018 Judgment · Grade B
This request for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of Article 18 of Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC (OJ 2009 L 140, p. 16), read in conjunction with Commission Implementing Decision 2011/438/EU of 19 July 2011 on the recognition of the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification [ISCC] scheme for demonstrating compliance with the sustainability criteria under Directives 2009/28/EC a
- Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) 4 October 2018 Judgment · Grade B
In accordance with Article 2 thereof, Implementing Decision 2011/438 was valid for 5 years from the date of its entry into force, that is, until 9 August 2016. Nevertheless, given the date of the facts giving rise to the main proceedings, regard must be had to that implementing decision.