The European Union has identified sustainability criteria for biofuels in order to reduce negative effects on the environment.

To encourage the use of energy from renewable sources in the European Union, its Member States have adopted Directive 2009/28 / EC on the promotion of the use of energy renewable. The Directive foresees :

- A calculated objective assigned to each Member State on its share of energy from renewable sources in its gross final energy consumption by 2020. For Belgium, this goal is 13%.
- That, by 2020, the share of energy from renewable sources in the transport sector is equal to at least 10% of the final energy consumption in this sector.
- Sustainability criteria for biofuels to reduce the negative effects to the environment.

In Belgium, professionals must  register the biofuel lots placed on the market in a database, before transferring them to their customers. Thus, the companies can also provide a proof demonstrating to their trading partners that sustainability criteria have been met.

Belgian law allows marketing fuels with a biofuel content greater than the one permitted under European standards as well as selling pure rapeseed oil to regional transport companies and drivers.

Given that European standards are lacking in these two cases, exemptions have been provided by the Belgian legislature.