EMEA News
ISCC Clarifies No EU Vote Taken on Certification Suspension
The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organisation has clarified its position amid ongoing speculation that the European Commission (EC) may suspend its certification scheme for waste-based biofuels.
In a new statement issued on Tuesday, ISCC said that no vote has been taken, and no decisions have been made regarding its status, pushing back on speculation that emerged after a recent EU committee meeting.
Last month, ISCC reported that it is aware of discussions going on in the EC to possibly suspend the recognition of its ISCC EU certification of waste-based biofuels.
ISCC said it held a "constructive in-person meeting" with the EC in Brussels on April 4. The meeting aimed to address misrepresented information stemming from the March 26 gathering of the EU Committee on Sustainability of Biofuels, Bioliquids, and Biomass Fuel
"Contrary to claims made by an individual on social media, no vote took place, and no decisions were made during the EU Committee's meeting," ISCC said.
"This misinformation was shared by this individual who did not participate [in] the EU Committee meeting."
ISCC was referenced during the committee discussions, which had been triggered by an EU member state's request to investigate an alleged fraud case involving waste-based biodiesel from China.
However, the organisation stressed that the committee's focus was on broader systemic issues, not exclusively ISCC.
"The main focus remained on strengthening the overall certification framework – not on ISCC EU specifically," the group said.
Despite the lack of formal decisions at this stage, the possibility of a suspension has not been ruled out, and ISCC continues to work closely with EU authorities to strengthen its certification framework.
"Our collaboration with the EC remains constructive, with both parties committed to restoring market confidence," ISCC noted.
The group underscored that recent developments are confined to ISCC EU's work with waste-based biofuels and do not impact its broader certification scheme. To maintain system integrity, ISCC continues to rely on its in-house integrity programme, which investigates credible allegations of wrongdoing using whistleblower input, internal audits and market intelligence.
"ISCC remains steadfast in cooperating with the European Commission, Member States, authorities and industry partners to ensure the integrity of the biofuels sector," the statement said.
"We are committed to implement whatever it takes to further strengthen the scheme, in particular in high-risk value chains with special policy incentives."
While ISCC has sought to correct misinformation, its earlier warning about a potential suspension remains a sign that regulatory scrutiny is still very much ongoing.
