On 1 July 2026, the European Parliament adopted a motion for a resolution objecting to the Commission's delegated regulation of 10 April 2026 that would classify soybean as a high indirect land-use change (ILUC)-risk feedstock, phasing out soy-based biodiesel from EU renewable energy targets by 2030. The Parliament's objection, tabled by the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, blocks the classification and demands a revised act that uses the original 2008 baseline for ILUC assessment, accounts for double-cropping, reviews the classification of Brazil's Cerrado savanna as high-carbon stock, and exempts EU-grown soybean as low ILUC-risk. The Parliament affirms no objection to the palm oil phase-down or low ILUC-risk certification fixes.
The delegated regulation, published on 10 April 2026, would have added soybean to the list of high ILUC-risk feedstocks alongside palm oil, based on updated data shifting the observation baseline from 2008 to 2014. Parliament objects because the 2008 baseline is legally required under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/807; applying it would likely keep soybean below the 10% expansion threshold. Concerns include failure to account for double-cropping, misclassification of Brazil's Cerrado savanna as high-carbon stock, and no evidence that EU-grown soybean causes ILUC. The economic impact is estimated at €36 million losses for EU soy farmers, €120 million for crushers, and up to €1.3 billion for the biodiesel industry.
The resolution calls on the Commission to withdraw the delegated regulation and submit a revised act that adheres to the 2008 baseline, accounts for double-cropping, reviews the Cerrado classification, and exempts EU or equivalent soybean as low ILUC-risk. The Parliament's objection, if upheld, would prevent the regulation from entering into force. The Commission is expected to respond to Parliament's demands, potentially triggering further negotiations. The Council has not yet taken a position on the matter.