Response from Commissioner Vălean on Book and Claim

28 May 2024: Commissioner Vălean has responded to our letter on Book and Claim, co-signed with other associations and sent in February, explaining the functioning of a possible system and why this is necessary to prepare the SAF market and ensure no regions are left behind.

A few days ago, the Commissioner responded on her and her Vice-President Šefčovič’s behalf, stating that the regulation on ReFuelEU Aviation will bring certainty for the SAF market due to the mandates and the flexibility mechanism which will allow stakeholders to find a way to meet their obligations.

They also reiterated that the Commission is engaged in assessing the current state of the market with the workshops animated by Guidehouse, and the report, expected to be published in July 2024, will give a conclusion on whether it is necessary to implement a system of SAF trade. However, the Commission states that during the workshop there was not a unified position on the topic, and that such system would come with various risks and challenges. They pointed out that we are just at the start of the mandates and that the SAF market will quickly develop and prices stabilise.

Finally, the Commission recalled their commitment to work on a possible SAF accounting system as proposed by the European Parliament, and in collaboration with the industry within the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Alliance to stimulate SAF production.