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European lawmakers voting on "dirty oil" bill

European Parliament will vote on a bill today that would classify oilsands bitumen as a dirtier oil.

The European Union’s fuel quality directive proposes Canadian bitumen is rated 22 per cent more carbon-intensive than conventional oil.

It was introduced in 2012, and the Canadian government has been lobbying against it ever since. On Dec. 11 Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford met with 25 EU ambassadors to push the message that Canada is a responsible developer of natural resources.

A statement from his office last week said “any measure that provides separate, more onerous treatment for oil sands crude relative to other crude with similar or higher GHG emission intensities is discriminatory and adverse to the FQD’s intent.”

European Parliament could reject a compromise draft bill and bring back the original FQD.