The European Commission has adopted an action plan designed to promote the use of biomass in energy applications.

The plan outlines a score of actions, the majority of which will be implemented in 2006. The areas concerned will include electricity generating, heating and cooling, buildings, boilers, urban heating, biofuels, waste and forestry, with specific actions targeting standardisation and research.

The aim is for the EU to be using as much as 150 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) of biomass by the year 2010 without undermining agricultural production.

Regarding use of biomass for heat and power production, the Commission is expected to bring forward a legislative initiative on heat generation and cooling. It will examine how the Directive on the energy performance of buildings might be amended to increase incentives for use of renewable sources.