13-14/02/2008, Bedford Hotel, Brussels (B)

The 71^st Congress of the IIRB took place in Brussels, Belgium. The main topic of this congress was energy production from sugar beet. To satisfy future demands on biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol) within the European Union it is necessary to estimate EU demands in the nearer future and to judge the importance of an EU production of biofuels compared to worldwide production. Energy production from sugar beet has to be judged in terms of competitiveness of sugar beet with other energy crops (winter wheat, oil seed rape, maize), by comparing the energy balances of these crops, the competitiveness of different cultivation areas and by a comparison of the acreage both required and available for a profitable production. Ways of improvement of energy balances for European crops also have to be assessed.

The congress consisted of the following sessions:

• Opening session with three invited speakers
• Energy production and sugar beet
• Open session
• Poster session