The following policies could have an impact on biomass/bioenergy trade with the EU. More detailed information about these policies can be found in the on-line policy database developed within the frame of the sister projects S2Biom, Biomass Policies and BioTrade2020+: https://s2biom.vito.be/policies-s2biom (select the relevant region & country).
Policies increasing production of biomass, or ensuring sustainable production of biomass
Country | Name | Sector/field | Description |
Brazil | Bonsucro Production Standard | Agriculture | voluntary scheme, promoting measureable standards in key environmental and social impacts of sugarcane production and the need for economic viability |
Brazil | RTRS Responsible Soy Production Standard | Agriculture | voluntary standard for responsible soy production that assures soy production that is environmentally correct, socially appropriate and economically feasible |
Brazil | ZAE Cana - Agro Ecological Zoning of sugarcane | Agriculture | in the frame of the expansion and sustainable production of sugar cane in Brazil; includes a set of strict environmental, economic, social, climate and soil restrictions that serve as mandatory guidelines, limiting future expansion of sugarcane to 7.5% of the Brazilian territory (or 64.7 million hectares) |
Brazil | Green Protocol / Protocolo Agroambiental | Agriculture; energy | agreement on the reduction of sugarcane straw burning and cogeneration in mills in the state of São Paulo, on top of the recovery of riparian forest |
Brazil | Brazil's Soy Moratorium: SoyM | Agriculture; forestry; environment | SoyM is a pledge agreed to by major soybean companies not to trade soybean produced in deforested areas after 24th July 2006 in the Brazilian Amazon biome |
Brazil | Brazil National Climate Change Plan PNMC | Climate; forestry | plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation, and contains targets fore cutting deforestation |
Brazil | National Environmental Policy | Environment | preservation and restoration of environmental resources; environmental licensing requirement for potentially polluting activities, such as forestry and industrial. |
Brazil | National Water Resources Policy (NWRP) and the National Water Resources Management System (NWRMS) | Environment | Water Law establishes an integrated approach to water resources management |
Brazil | National System of Protected Areas SNUC | Environment; forestry; agriculture | Sustainability rules for forestry and agriculture (e.g. nature protection, best management practices) |
Brazil | Forest Investment Program (FIP) | Forestry | FIP focused on building synergies in order to maximize the impact of a larger set of policies aimed at reducing reforestation in the Cerrado biome |
Brazil | FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) and CERFLOR (Brazilian National Forest Certification Program) | Forestry | voluntary sustainable forestry schemes |
Brazil | Management of Public Forests, Brazilian Forest Service and National Fund for Forest Development | Forestry | mandates forest management principles based on REDD+ policies, establishes the Brazilian Forest Service, and sets up the National Fund for Forest Development |
Brazil | New Forestry Code | Forestry | Forest Code creates standards for Permanent Protected Areas, regulates economic activities in forests, and restricts deforestation |
Brazil | PMFS Sustainable Forest Management Plan (Plano de Manejo Florestal Sustentáve) and POA Annual Operational Plan (Plano Operacional Anual) | Forestry | forest managers and harvesting companies harvesting native species from planted forests must have an PMFS |
Brazil | PPCDAm, Plano de Açao para a Prevençao e o Controle do Desmatamento na Amazonia Legal | Forestry | financial and regulatory Plan for Prevention and Control of the Legal Amazon Deforestation |
Brazil | PROPFLORA: Programme of Commercial Planting and Recovery Forest | Forestry | Funding to plant forests, mainly for industrial use. Also includes the restoration and maintenance of preservation areas and legal reserves. |
Brazil | National Plan on Climate Change and the Action Plan to Prevent and Control Deforestation | Forestry; energy | National Energy Efficiency Action Plan that lowers electricity consumption and reduces deforestation of the Amazon |
Policies stimulating domestic use of biomass, which could impact availability for export
Country | Name | Sector/field | Description |
Brazil | Ethanol blending mandate | Biofuels | mandatory ethanol blend in the gasoline |
Brazil | National Fuel Alcohol Program (Proalcool) | Biofuels | Brazilian government supports private industry in the development of alcohol-based fuels by subsidizing research and development |
Brazil | Sugar cane production for biofuel | Biofuels | rules on the sugar cane production for biofuel |
Brazil | 2010-2019 Plan for Energy Expansion | Energy | plan for phasing out of fossil fuel power plants construction by 2014 and major expansions of plants with renewable energies |
Brazil | Carbon Credits from Bioelectricity | Energy | Credits to spread mechanized harvesting techniques that preserve additional plant matter to use as fuel in more-efficient generators to obtain greenhouse gases reduction |
Brazil | Electric power auctions - Biomass | Energy | specific auctions for existing energy sources, and those for new energy sources, including renewable energy |
Brazil | Programa de Incentivo a Fontes Alternativas de Energia Elétrica - PROINFA | Energy | Programme of Incentives for Alternative Electricity Sources through subsidies and incentives to target increasing the share of electricity produced by renewable sources |
Policies with direct impact on imports/export markets
Country | Name | Sector/field | Description |
Brazil | Timber export regulation | Forestry; trade | Regulations for timber companies seeking to export timber from Brazil |
Brazil | Ethanol export tax credit - REINTEGRA | Biofuels; trade | special Regime of Reinstatement of Tax Amounts for Exporting Companies |
Brazil | Ethanol and Biodiesel Import Tariff | Biofuels; trade | extension of the zero import tariff applied to ethanol with less than one percent water |