12.4.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 114/189
used in transport in accordance with Article 28(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.
Fifth, they can be used to certify biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels with low indirect land-use change-risk.
The Commission may decide that voluntary national or international schemes can serve all or some of these purposes.
(4)
Where an economic operator provides proof of or data on compliance with the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria, obtained in accordance with a voluntary scheme that has been recognised by the Commission, to the extent covered by the recognition decision, a Member State should not require the supplier to provide further evidence.
(5)
The request to the Commission for recognition under Article 30(4) of the Directive from the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme’ voluntary scheme was first submitted to the Commission on 24 February 2021.
This request led to an assessment of the scheme from the Commission, in which some issues requiring modification were identified.
In its resubmission of 23 June 2021, the scheme correctly addressed these issues.
The scheme covers biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet (excluding wastes and residues) produced in the United Kingdom from farm up to the first point of delivery of the agricultural biomass.
(6)
In assessing the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme’ voluntary scheme, the Commission found that it covers adequately the sustainability criteria laid down in Article 29(3) to (5) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 and applies a mass balance methodology in accordance with the requirements of Article 30(1) and (2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.
Verification of the compliance of economic operators with the greenhouse gas emission savings criteria for the purposes of Article 29(10) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 is not in the scope of certification by the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme’.
This assessment does not take into account the forthcoming implementing act to be adopted in accordance with Article 30(8) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001, on rules to verify sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria and low indirect land-use change-risk criteria.
The ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme’ will therefore be re-assessed when such an implementing act will be adopted.
(7)
The assessment of the ‘Red Tractor Farm Assurance Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme’ voluntary scheme, found that it meets adequate standards of reliability, transparency and independent auditing in accordance with Article 30(8) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.
(8)
The recognised scheme should be made available in the section devoted to voluntary schemes on the Commission’s EUROPA website.
(9)
The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on the Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioliquids and Biomass fuels,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1 The ‘Red Tractor’ voluntary scheme (‘the scheme’), submitted for recognition to the Commission on 23 June 2021, demonstrates, for the fuels audited under the scheme, the following elements: (a) compliance of the consignments of biofuels with the sustainability criteria laid down in Article 29(3) to (5) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001; (b) compliance of economic operators with the obligation to enter accurate information into the Union or national database on renewable fuels and recycled carbon fuels used in transport in accordance with Article 28(4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001;
Article 2 The Decision is valid for a period of 5 years after it enters into force.
In the event that the contents of the scheme, as submitted for recognition to the Commission on 23 June 2021, change in a way that might affect the basis of this Decision, such changes shall be notified to the Commission without delay.
The Commission shall assess the notified changes with a view to establishing whether the scheme still adequately covers the sustainability criteria for which it is recognised.