AACS - Sustainability Biofuels - Union Database (UDB)

Status: November 2024

With the current version of the UDB, it is now possible to enter initial purchases (transaction from the buyer at the place of origin) and the associated farmers (contact persons for procurement) without errors. However, transactions cannot currently be declined. Likewise, NUTS II values for Austria will only be activated after the publication of an implementing decision by the European Commission. If you have any technical problems, please continue to inform us by email with screenshots of the error messages. We will then immediately forward these to the responsible UDB team. We therefore recommend that you enter your first purchases by November 21, 2024 and start entering sales or transactions from this point onwards at the latest.

Manual: If you have any questions regarding the content, we will be happy to help you. Please also note the manual for the Union database that we have revised to provide assistance: https://www.ama.at/fachliche-informationen/nachhaltigkeit/unionsdatenabe-(udb)/handbuecher-udb-weitere-informationen 

Registration: All AACS companies that are still not activated in the Union database are again requested to complete the registration immediately: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/UnionDatabase (Attention! With the same email address is previously create an EU login via https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/cas/login - see manual!)

Training: The UDB team's training on recording first purchases has been confirmed to us and will take place online via Webex on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Link to recording: https://ec.europa.eu/assets/move-ener/udb/Training Material/European Commission - UDB- Agrarmarkt  AUSTRIA - FGP training-20241112 1601-1.mp4

Feedback: Again, the reminder for the survey on the Union database (last opportunity for feedback TODAY, November 7th, 2024) in which there has already been several responses. Thanks for that!
https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14297-Erneuerbare-und-wiederverwertete-carbonhaltende-Kraftstoffe-Expansion-der-Rucktracelichkeit-in-der-EU- database_de

Status: October 2024

There are currently increasing problems with the European Commission's Union Database, which means that it is not possible to log in, record stock levels or enter transactions. We have already contacted the responsible team of the Union database about these and other errors, but are still waiting for feedback. 

It is obvious that the opening stock cannot be entered on the date requested by the Union database team (deadline 30.09.) and we will take this into account accordingly. You will of course be informed again when these errors have been corrected. Until then, our recommendation to enter stock levels is suspended. 

We would also like to thank all companies that have already started or tried to enter stock levels in the UDB or have given us feedback on error messages and (non-)functionality.

Status: September 2024

We have been informed by the EC's UDB team that the initial stocks must be entered in the Union database by October 1, 2024 in order to enable the start of the entry of commodity transactions and full operation from November 21, 2024.

Agrarmarkt Austria therefore recommends entering the stock levels in the Union database by 30.09.2024, see in particular the point “Register stock levels” in the instructions.

If you have not yet received the activation link for the Union database, please contact us at the AACS area address: nachhaltigkeit@ama.gv.at  from the e-mail address of your company to which the link should be sent. 

Please also note that an EU login must be created in order to use the Union database. You can find instructions here.

Status: August 2024

The Union Database has been available since January 15, 2024 for recording stock levels and entering transactions within the biofuel supply chain. A fully functional UDB is to be achieved by November 21, 2024. However, the European Commission envisages this date once again as a mandatory date for use by the economic operators of all voluntary systems. 

For this reason, an activation link will be sent again on August 7, 2024 to all affected AACS participants who have not yet registered. In addition, the necessary access for registration in the UDB can be requested at the AACS area address: nachhaltigkeit@ama.gv.at

Status: September 2023

The entry of stock levels and transactions is only possible after approval by the EC. As soon as such a date is announced, all AACS system participants will be informed in good time. The AMA would like to point out once again that the obligation to use the UDB applies to all economic operators who are active in the field of biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels that are used in the transport sector and fall within the scope of the Renewable Energy Directive. All affected participants who are not yet registered are therefore requested to request the necessary access for registration in the UDB at the AACS domain address: nachhaltigkeit@ama.gv.at.

If you have any further questions about the UDB, please send them to nachhaltigkeit@ama.gv.at; Mr. Michael Unger (Lead User) and Mr. Rudolf Hackl are available to answer technical and specialist questions.

Status: March 2023

The planned introduction of a European Commission database for the purpose of transparency and traceability of liquid and gaseous biofuels for transport in accordance with Article 28 (2) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 means that all companies registered in the AACS system, as well as all other economic operators in the voluntary systems recognized by the European Commission, must enter information on all transactions carried out and the sustainability properties of the biofuels in this Union database (UDB). This includes, in particular, the purchase of sustainable raw materials from producers, the trade and sale of these through to processing and placing on the market.

The European Commission currently envisages the following process for the development of the UDB:

  • All valid AACS registrations including associated company details were placed in the Union Database (UDB) by the AMA in February 2023. The access link has already been sent to all companies registered in the AACS.
  • From April 3, 2023, all registered companies will be able to enter the stock levels of the respective feedstocks or biofuels in the UDB. This data must match the mass balances submitted to the AMA and will be checked for plausibility and correctness.
  • Alle gültigen AACS-Registrierungen samt zughöriger Firmendetails wurden im Februar 2023 von der AMA in die Unionsdatenbank (UDB) gestellt. Der Zugangs-Link wurde bereits an alle im AACS registrierten Unternehmen übermittelt.
  • From May 2, 2023, all transactions can be entered into the database by registered companies within 72 hours.
  • The EC has recently stated that there are no legal deadlines for the introduction of the UDB and that 2023 should be seen as a transition year, which will primarily serve to monitor processes and the functioning of the database. The UDB should be fully operational in the 4th quarter of 2023. The EC has also stated that although there are no legal deadlines for the completion of the various tasks, all economic operators are recommended to start the implementation as soon as possible.
  • The transaction data must be checked as part of the usual AACS on-the-spot checks in accordance with Article 28 (4) of Directive (EU) 2018/2001.
    As the data entry must take place within 72 hours and the user interface of the UDB is initially only available in English, these mandatory requirements of the European Commission may lead to problems and cause additional work, especially in the transition phase.

The AMA expressly points out that the entries in the UDB do not replace the preparation of a mass balance and that this must continue to be submitted to the AMA as part of the respective quarterly report. The entries in the database must match the data in the mass balance.

The AMA is also endeavoring to provide assistance to companies registered with the AACS system and has provided instructions to support registration and data entry. For companies with large amounts of data, work is underway to make it easier to enter transactions in the database. Due to ongoing maintenance work and updates, there may currently still be limited operation or changes to the UDB input screens. Necessary adjustments to the instructions will be made available as soon as possible. 

Already registered participants can access the Union database via the following link: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/UnionDatabase