Evolution of NUTS 02 values | Joint communication from Voluntary Schemes

To Economic Operators,

To whom it may concern,

Evolution of NUTS 02 values | Joint communication from Voluntary Schemes

NUTS 02 values are the commonly used term for typical greenhouse gas emissions from the cultivation of agricultural raw materials provided by EU Member States[1]. Third countries may also provide such values. NUTS2 values[2] can be applied by agricultural producers and forwarded in the biofuel supply chain. The usage of these values may reduce administrative workload within the biofuel chain as no actual calculation of the emissions from the cultivation of the agricultural biomass is required. Numerous players throughout the sector use these NUTS 02 in their supply chains.

The NUTS2 values that have been in use since July 2018 values have been established in Member State reports based on the extraction and cultivation of agricultural feedstock in specific regions of the country and were approved by the European Commission.

Updates on the applicable legislation

In September 2023, the European Commission indicated in a letter to the Voluntary Schemes that in accordance with Art. 31(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 (RED II) the Commission may by means of implementing acts decide that respective reports from EU Member States or third countries, submitted in accordance with Art. 31(2) and (3) contain accurate for the purposes of measuring GHG emissions for cultivation of agricultural biomass feedstock. The letter was a reply to a joint communication of a large number of VS in which the need for a sufficient transition period for this approach had been outlined as to this date, only for Argentina and Australia such implementing acts are in place.

Next steps/outlook

Schemes are currently awaiting more precise instructions on the next steps and the possible transition to be put in place. The VS will have a meeting with the European Commission at the end of October in which the need for an appropriate transition period will be further promoted.

We are aware that an immediate change in the application of NUTS2 values could have dramatic results in the chain, and that a smooth transition needs to be organized.

Whilst the outcome of the meeting is still pending, it is our duty to provide you with the most transparent information about the use of NUTS 02-values. We will share more with you as soon as we have more news.

[1] NUTS 2 stands for territory classified as level 2 in the nomenclature of territorial units for statistics. See Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics

[2] If available for the feedstock and region where the feedstock is supplied from in the unit in g CO2eq/dry-ton of feedstock