EUROPEAN Union lawmakers voted to cut in half, to 5%, an ambitious target for using crop-based biofuels for European road transport needs by 2020. The vote by the European Parliament's industry committee deals a blow to climate-change goals agreed on by EU leaders last year to try to cut carbon-dioxide emissions. Environmental and aid groups had criticized the EU's 10% biofuels-use target, claiming it caused deforestation and harmed efforts to fight global poverty and effectively tackle carbon emissions. The biofuels target is part of an ambitious climate-change package the 27 EU leaders hope to enact by year end.