Massive increase in EU biofuel crops

Decoupling has freed up farmers to supply the biofuel market, they can grow these crops on setaside land, and a single payment of €45 is available for up to 1.5m hectares.

Technical progress has cut the cost of biofuel extraction - even from previously unpromising raw materials, such as wood.

The EU now produces 2.2m tonnes of biofuel per year, mostly from oilseed rape in Germany, France and Italy. Crushing of rapeseed has increased from 2.7m tonnes in 2002 to 5.2m tonnes, of which 2m tonnes comes from setaside. Biofuel is produced from 40% of the rape crop.