EU backs away from biofuel goal, eyes Brazil accord

By Pete Harrison

PARIS, July 5 (Reuters) - European Union energy chiefs considered an accord with Brazil over biofuels on Saturday at the end of a three day meeting in Paris during which they backed away from the EU's controversial biofuels target.

Though no concrete changes were made to proposed biofuel legislation, ministers said the EU had failed to properly communicate plans to get 10 percent road transport fuels from renewable sources, such as biofuels, by 2020.

French Ecology Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said many people had misinterpreted the target to mean 10 percent from biofuels alone.

He said the EU had to make clear it could also include electric vehicles recharged using green electricity or powered by hydrogen -- nascent technologies that while virtually non-existent today could play a vital role by 2020.

18 months ago, biofuels seemed like a wonderful idea, but their value was no longer so clear, he added.

By distancing themselves from biofuels, ministers hope to diffuse growing criticism the target is contributing to deforestation and helping force up food prices -- because more agri-produce is being used for fuel instead of for food.

"We have to decide if the quota can be kept," the German state secretary Jochen Homann told reporters.

"It might be changed."