European Union legislators said last week that targets for using crop-based biofuels should be diminished dramatically, according to the International Herald Tribune. The initial EU goal was to increase the use of biofuels in cars and trucks to 10 percent by 2020. This week a European Parliament committee stuck by the general goal, but sharply reduced the amount of biofuel produced from food crops. Half of all biofuels should come from waste, algae or other nonfood vegetation, the EU committee decided.

The committee's decision has troubled the European biofuels industry, which has already built substantial capacity based on the earlier goal. The biofuels industry is asking for more stability, so it can grow. Environmental groups praise the reduction in reliance on crop-based biofuels.