The Record: Europe

28 June edition
Lucy Thomas
Producer

The Record Europe biofuels briefing

Biofuels under scrutiny

A highly critical report on biofuels was published in Brussels this week.

It claimed that the push for greater biofuel use is leading to higher global food prices and increased deforestation - while doing little to reduce carbon emissions.

The European Commission however disagrees. It argues that biofuels are better than the alternative of continuing with fossil fuels and that without converting to other forms of energy the 2020 climate change targets will never be met.

Joining Janet Barrie to discuss this are:

• Claude Turmes MEP, Luxembourg Green and author of the Parliament's renewable energy report
• Ferran Tarradellas, EU Commission energy spokesman
• Stefan Scheuer, Friends of the Earth Europe
• Marco Tulio Cabral, from the Brazilian Mission to the EU

The discussion in full

Whither enlargement?

Also on the programme, this week the Foreign Affairs Committee voted on a report praising the recent wave of enlargement.

But with the Lisbon Treaty stopped in its tracks and further expansion on hold, we'll be asking what does the future hold for hopeful entrants?

Vice-chair of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and German Christian Democrat Michael Gahler MEP and British Labour's Mary Honeyball MEP, a member of the European Parliament's delegation to Macedonia, join Janet Barrie to discuss the way forward.

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The Record: Europe examines the key moments in the political week in Brussels and Strasbourg and focuses on the work of the European Parliament and European Commission.

It is broadcast on BBC Parliament on Saturdays at 2300 GMT, Sundays at 1700 GMT and Mondays at 1000 GMT, on BBC World on Saturdays at 1330 GMT and Sundays at 0630 GMT and on the BBC News channel on Sundays at 0530 GMT and Mondays at 0330 GMT.