COM(2020)0742
EUR-Lex

In accordance with Directive 98/70/EC, Member States are required to report on the quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union (reporting year 2017).

The Fuel Quality Directive obliges Member States to require fuel suppliers to reduce the life cycle GHG intensity of transport fuels, i.e. the life cycle GHG emissions per unit of energy from fuel and energy supplied, by a minimum of 6 % by 31 December 2020 compared with the fuel baseline standard for 2010 of 94.1 gCO2eq/MJ4.

A total of 22 Member States as well as Iceland and Norway, provided corresponding data in the appropriate format. Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain submitted reports on the quality of the fuels placed on the market by fuel suppliers but not on their greenhouse gas intensity.

Greenhouse gas emissions and distance to 2020 target

According to the data provided, the average GHG intensity of the fuels and energy supplied in the 22 reporting Member States in 2017 was 3.4 % lower than the 2010 baseline. This corresponds to a saving of 29 Mt carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) in the year 2017. To ensure the delivery of the minimum 6 % reduction target by 2020, the Fuel Quality Directive specifies that Member States may require fuel suppliers to comply with an intermediate reduction target of 4 % for the year 2017.

Fuel supply

The report noted that 22 Member States reported on all fossil fuels, biofuels and fuels of non-biological origin within the scope of the Fuel Quality Directive for road transport and non-road mobile machinery. Total fuel supply reported was 8 976 petajoules (PJ), of which 95.5 % was from fossil fuels, and 4.5 % was from biofuels. No renewable fuels of non-biological origin were reported in 2017. The fossil fuel supply in 2017 was dominated by diesel (55.8 %; 5 007 PJ), followed by petrol (27.6 %; 2 474 PJ) and gas oil (14.8 %; 1 324 PJ). Liquefied petroleum gas and compressed natural gas had a total share of 1.8 % (167 PJ).

Biofuel consumption

The biofuels consumption in the reporting Member States was dominated by biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester, FAME) (62.3 %; 267 PJ), followed by bioethanol (17.5 %; 75 PJ) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO; 16.6 %; 71 PJ). Bio-ethyl tert-butyl ether (bio-ETBE) and biogas account for almost 3 % (12 PJ).

Petrol and diesel and biocomponent content

Diesel continues to dominate fuel sales in the EU: 72.3 % (270 668 million litres) of fuel sold in 2017 was diesel and 27.7 % was petrol (103 766 million litres). Petrol sales in 2017 increased by 2.9 % compared with 2016, whereas diesel sales increased by 5.2 %.

Overall, fuel sales of petrol and diesel increased by 4.6% compared with 2016. This is the result of increased transport demand that outweighed efficiency gains in the vehicle fleet.

Diesel fuel consumption is significant in most EU Member States, representing more than 60 % of total fuel sales in 23 Member States (all except Cyprus, Greece, Malta and the Netherlands; Romania did not submit a complete report for 2017).

Compliance of sold fuels with quality limits

Overall, fuel quality in the EU is high. Bulgaria, Malta and Sweden verified and reported full compliance for both petrol and diesel fuels, while nine Member States verified and reported full compliance for petrol (Austria, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden) and seven for diesel (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, Malta and Sweden). One Member State (Belgium) reported more than 100 non-compliances for petrol in 2017. Member States reported a total of 496 cases of non-compliance for petrol and 141 for diesel for 2017.

COM(2019)0561
EUR-Lex

COM(2018)0056
EUR-Lex

The Commission submitted a report in accordance with Article 9 of Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels.

On the basis of the assessment of certain parts of the Directive as part of its Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT), the Commission concluded that the Fuel Quality Directive provides EU added value in improving and maintaining the quality of transport fuels. It is found to be generally fit for purpose and, based on the evidence available, it is considered to achieve its aims in an effective and broadly efficient manner.

The available evidence showed that a change in the Directive is not justified at the present time.

The quality of fuels and related greenhouse gas issues : the Directive also includes an obligation on fuel suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the fuel mix they supply by 6% in 2020 compared to 2010.

Under Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 , to be transposed by 21 April 2017 at the latest, Member States are required to monitor and report in detail the emission intensity of Greenhouse gases (GHGs). The first reports are due in 2018. Member States have already reported net savings in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the use of renewable energy in transport of around 35 Mt CO2 equivalent in 2014.

The Commission proposed not extending the GHG emission target under the Fuel Quality Directive beyond 2020. Instead, the Renewable Energy Directive should become the key instrument for driving the uptake of renewable and low-emission transport fuels up to 2030. It is therefore not considered appropriate to propose a changing the 6% target for 2020.

Biofuel blend limits : the 6% reduction target for GHG emissions from fuels provides an incentive for using more low carbon fuels, such as biofuels, in the transport sector. The Commission commissioned a study on the feasibility and the economic and environmental impacts of a hypothetical increase in the current blending levels for biofuels.

The scenarios contemplated suggest that there will be no significant adverse effect on vehicle emissions or on refineries.

Moreover, the most recent monitoring report on EU fuel quality, for 2014 and 2015, showed overall compliance with the specifications for petrol and diesel in the Fuel Quality Directive, with very few deviations from the relevant provisions.

Consequently, the Commission does not consider it appropriate to change the specifications for general market fuels with regard to maximum EU bio-blend levels.

Linkages with CO2 emission standards : the report suggested it may be possible to enhance engine design for use with gasoline with an increased research octane number (RON) to allow for higher compression ratios leading to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

As the current fuel specifications already permit the marketing of gasoline with enhanced RON, at present there does not seem to be a case for amending them in this regard.

Fuel quality and environmental issues : one of the aims of the Fuel Quality Directive is to reduce atmospheric pollution caused by vehicles. Over the period 1995-2013 transport emissions of SOx declined by -98%, emissions of lead declined by -95%, emissions of NOx declined by -51%, emissions of PM10 declined by -42%, ad emissions of PAH declined by -62%

Environmental specifications for fuels for non-road mobile machinery : the Commission has analysed the possibility of extending the requirements for diesel fuels to non-road mobile machinery fuel. The analysis concluded that such an extension is unlikely to have significant impact for most Member States.

Fuel additives : European standards for fuel quality (EN228 for petrol and EN590 for automotive diesel) allow the use of fuel additives to improve performance quality. The Commission considers that the current practice of voluntary standard-setting has led to an appropriate level of detergent use and related benefits. No further action is required in this regard.

Metallic additives : the legal requirements for fuel quality monitoring and measurement by Member States for metallic fuel additives are limited to lead and MMT. The Commission is not aware of the use of other metal fuel additives that would be sold through the fuel distribution network.

Components regulated under environmental legislation : from the information available the quantity of fuel components addressed under the Water Framework Directive cannot be stated. Consequently, there is at present no case for amending the fuel specifications in this regard.

Vapour pressure : this is fixed at 60 kPa for summer grade petrol to reduce non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) emissions from road vehicles. According to a report prepared for the Commission, a further reduction in the maximum permitted vapour pressure would have an impact on the fuel industry, which would result in increased capital and operating costs.

In conclusion , the Commission will continue to monitor compliance with the environmental specifications for fuels laid down in the Fuel Quality Directive along with its impact on the protection of the environment and human health and on the internal market for transport fuels, vehicles and non-road mobile machinery.

It will also monitor the transposition of the provisions related to the greenhouse gas reduction target in the Fuel Quality Directive, due in April 2017.

COM(2017)0284
EUR-Lex

EUR-Lex
SWD(2017)0178

EUR-Lex
SWD(2017)0179

In accordance with Directive 98/70/EC, the Commission has presented a report on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels used for road transport in the Union for the reference years 2014 and 2015.

The fuel quality monitoring data provided for the years in question make it possible to draw the following conclusions:

the number of infringements of the specifications for gasoline and diesel fuels under the Fuel Quality Directive is very limited; all Member States apply the specifications for fuels according to which road fuels must contain less than 10 ppm of sulphur; Member States met their reporting and monitoring obligations better than in the past by improving their fuel quality monitoring systems and which enabled more comprehensive and reliable fuel sampling; by 2014, all Member States have provided the required minimum information on the compliance of fuels. The Commission requested further information from the Member States which had not provided the necessary data by 2015; non-compliance of fuel put on the market in both years is reported to be rare. When this happens Member States generally indicate taking action to remove non-compliant fuel from sale. there is no evidence of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these instances of non-compliance.

COM(2017)0049
EUR-Lex

This report represents a consolidation of the twelfth year of Member States’ submissions under Directive 98/70/EC, summarising the quality of petrol and diesel used for road transport in the EU for 2013.

Fuel sales in the Europe : fuel sales in the EU in 2013 continue to be heavily weighted towards diesel with 243,516 million litres of diesel sold compared to 106,082 million litres of petrol sold. There is a continued reduction in consumption with 2013 being the fourth year in a row that saw a fall in sales. For petrol there is also a reduction in consumption in 2013; in fact petrol sales have continued to decline since 2004

Fuel availability 2013 : in terms of fuel grades, RON 91 has almost disappeared from the market, and is only now being sold in four countries. Denmark is the only country where this fuel has any significant presence. The sale of E10 continues to be limited to only three Member States: France, Finland and Germany.

Some general points are noted:

diesel dominates the market in all but two of the 28 Member States with petrol fuels representing 57.8% share of Greek fuel sales and 60.5% of Cypriot fuel sales;

Belgium, on the other hand, has the heaviest dependence on diesel fuel with an 82.8% diesel share of the market. Above 80% of diesel share can also be found in Lithuania (82.7%), Luxembourg (82.1%) and France (81.2%).

The greatest volume of fuel sales in 2013 took place in Germany, with 19.1% total EU fuel sales. The next biggest market was France with a 14.3% share of EU petrol and diesel fuel sales. UK fuel sales totalled 12.9% of all fuel sales in the EU.

In most countries the tax rate for diesel is lower than for petrol (sometimes significantly), and this coupled with the higher efficiency of diesel vehicles (vs. petrol equivalents) and improvements to diesel cars has been a key driver in the shift to increasing diesel use in the EU.

RON 95 is by far the most popular type of petrol fuel in most Member States, followed by 95<RON.

Fuel monitoring : the monitoring of fuel quality in 2013 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met with very few deviations from the relevant provisions being identified.

The report recalls, however, that Member States must establish a Fuel Quality Monitoring Systems (FQMS) in accordance with the requirements of the relevant European standard and if, an alternative fuel quality monitoring system (a national system) is used, it should ensure results of equivalent confidence. As noted in the annual report for 2012 it would appear that some Member States were not in full compliance with these requirements. The main issues of divergence regarded the number of samples, location of the sampling and the measurement of all necessary parameters to ensure appropriated fuel quality. The continuing divergence of some of these issues may be seen in this report.

The Commission launched and closed 20 EU Pilots during 2014, the main issues addressed being sampling procedures, the number of samples, the confidence level of national systems and incorrect parameters being measured. The Commission was satisfied with the replies it received from the Member States. However as this exercise was conducted during 2014, the 2013 report does not reflect the improvement. The Commission expects to see the full result of these improvements in the 2014 report.

Non-compliance : in general, of the 10,095 samples tested for petrol in 2013, 248 were found to be out of specification with tolerance limits for one or more parameter, which represents a non-compliance rate of 2.5%. Of the 14,764 samples tested for the six mandatory parameters for diesel in 2013, 161 were found to be non-compliant with the specified limits, representing 1.1% of all samples reported. As cases of non-compliance are relatively rare and Member States generally take action to remove non-compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances.

The Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance with the requirements of the Fuel Quality Directive.

COM(2015)0070
EUR-Lex

COM(2014)0127

This report presented by the Commission represents a consolidation of the eleventh year of Member States’ submissions under Directive 98/70/EC, summarising the quality of petrol and diesel used for road transport in the EU for 2012.

The Directive also stipulates that Member States are required to report, using a reporting template, summaries of the quality of fuels sold in their territories. All Member States receive a reporting template in order to include all pertinent details to enable a European wide analysis and comparison of the results of the fuel quality monitoring undertaken in Member States. The report notes that there is a clear improvement on the submissions of reports received within the deadline compared with 2009 and 2010, but a slight decline regarding 2011, when 21 Members States reported on time.

The main findings of this report are as follows:

Fuel sales in the Europe : fuel sales in 2012 were heavily weighted toward diesel with 242 829 million litres of diesel fuel sold compared to 109 328 million litres of petrol fuel sales.

Since 2004 petrol sales have continued to decline and 2012 saw another year when petrol sales were less than in the previous year. Diesel also declined for the third year in a row.

Total fuel sales in 2012 were less than sales in 2011 seeing a decrease in both petrol (reduction of 7 565 million litres) and diesel (reduction of 2 398 million litres) sales resulting in an overall total decrease of 9 963 million litres of automotive road fuels sold.

Fuel availability 2012 : one of the main facts of 2012 is that RON 91 has almost disappeared from the market, now only being sold in four countries, with Denmark alone having any significant presence. E10 is only sold in three Member States: France, Finland and Germany.

Some general points can be noted as regards the quality and the types of fuel sold by the Member States:

diesel dominates the market in all but two Member States (Greece and Cyprus); Belgium, on the other hand, demonstrates the heaviest dependence on diesel fuel (83.2% share of the market); the greatest volume of fuel sales in 2012 took place in Germany, with 18.5% of total EU fuel sales; UK fuel sales totalled 12.4% of all fuel sales with a ratio of 41.3% / 58.7% for petrol/diesel; in most countries the tax rate for diesel is lower than for petrol (sometimes significantly).

Fuel monitoring : the report notes that in 2012, all Member States have complied with the fuel specifications that require road fuels to contain less than 10 ppm sulphur content. In addition, Member States have begun to report fuels with added ethanol, which is a reporting requirement from 1 January 2011.

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2012 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and very few deviations from the relevant provisions were identified. Even if there is an improvement in the way Member States meet their reporting and monitoring obligations and in their fuel quality monitoring systems, in some cases they are still not attaining the expected level sampling .

As cases of non-compliance are relatively rare and Member States generally take action to remove non-compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances. The Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future.

EUR-Lex
COM(2014)0127

Article 8a of Directive 98/70/EC requires the Commission to report its conclusions on the development of a test methodology to assess the risks for health and the environment from the use of metallic additives in fuels to the European Parliament and the Council.

Metallic fuel additives (MFA) are substances intentionally added to fuel (petrol, diesel and biodiesel) to improve its performance. These additives eventually enter the environment since their metallic portion is not degraded during any stage of their production or use. Thus, they can become a source of exposure for humans and/or biota throughout their life cycle. This creates a possible impact on health and the environment. This potential impact justifies their regulation through the adoption of limit values based on the precautionary principle.

- Assessment of potential risks for health and environment of MFA: to assess the potential impacts of MFA on the compounds produced during vehicle fuel combustion and/or remaining in the exhaust it is necessary to compare the emissions produced with and without using MFA. In this context, the Commission’s Joint Research Centre has developed a test protocol for monitoring and calculating the emission data with regard to MFA, focusing on the use stage of their life-cycle. In this protocol, measurements are made at the tailpipe and the emissions are compared for fuel containing MFA with the same fuel without the MFA.

There is a potential impact on health and the environment by the use of MFA in fuel. This impact is affected by several factors: the type of MFA; the level of concentration; the level and duration of the exposure; and the pathway for this exposure. The metallic components of MFA could be a hazard for both humans and the environment due to their intrinsic reactivity, toxicity and their possible capacity to accumulate within living organisms.

In the past, health concerns associated with MFA (such as lead) have led to the phasing out of their use. It is apparent that MFA have metallic components which could in themselves be a hazard for both humans and the environment due to their intrinsic reactivity, toxicity and their possible capacity to accumulate within living organisms.

New substances are being developed for which the available health and environmental data are limited and little is known about their eco-toxicity and toxicity. Determination of their toxicity and eco-toxicity is a prerequisite to assessing their actual impacts on the environment and health. Hence there is a need to develop a test methodology.

- Test methodology: the purpose of the methodology is to assess the risks for health and the environment from the use of MFA. It is intended to be sufficiently generic so as to apply to any MFA. Prior to the assessment, a holistic approach for evaluating the environmental implications of various choices among chemicals, products and technologies may be needed to prioritise efforts and to provide input to risk managers to enable better targeted decisions. The report provides a description of the methodology: characteristics of emissions during the life-cycle, hazard assessment, exposure assessment, risk characterisation, risk management, as well as its application. This methodology has been developed to be employed by any party interested in the establishment or revision of limit values for MFA in the Directive. The Commission will monitor its application and take all appropriate initiatives.

COM(2013)0456
EUR-Lex

In accordance with the requirements of Directive 98/70/EC, the Commission presents its annual report on the quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union, covering the year 2011.

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2011 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and very few exceedances were identified.

Petrol reporting: in 2011, most Member States provided full information about petrol sample compliance. In order to determine compliance, it is necessary to know which test method has been used to test for some parameters (because reproducibility and tolerance levels differ according to test method). Provision has been made for Member States to give this information within the reporting template – although this is not a mandatory part of the reporting it is vital to determine compliance levels.

The parameters found to be out of specification most frequently within the EU in 2011 were:

Summer Vapour Pressure was exceeded 106 times in 2011. However, it is becoming apparent that many exceedances are the result of transitional periods, when suppliers swap the summer specification fuel for winter specification fuel and vice versa. RON/MON samples found to be out of specification in 2011 totalled 38 samples.

Some Member States did not provide full details of samples found to be out of compliance with tolerance limits.

Diesel reporting: in 2011, some Member States did not provide full details of samples found to be out of compliance with tolerance limits. Of the 6 parameters required to be tested for diesel in 2011, parameters found to be out of specification were:

the sulphur content maximum of 10ppm was exceeded by a total of 126 samples. However the average sulphur content for all Member States remains below the mandatory limit of 10ppm at 5.8 ppm. in total, 19 samples tested for distillation limits were found to be out of specification.

The revision of standard EN 14274 will provide further clarification to the Member States, which will lead to greater consistency in the data available for assessment of the various fuel quality parameters.

There is also a recognized will by the Member States to make an effort to improve their understanding of reporting requirements and of their fuel quality monitoring systems (FQMS).

As exceedances are relatively rare and most Member States take action to remove non-compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances. However, the Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future.

COM(2013)0458
EUR-Lex

In accordance with the requirements of Directive 98/70/EC, the Commission presents its 9th annual report on the Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union, covering the year 2010.

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2010 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and very few exceedances were identified.

The report adds that low sulphur content helps reduce air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology. A new specification for automotive road fuels came into force on 1 January 2009, which limits the sulphur content of all automotive road fuels in the EU to 10 ppm (sulphur- free fuels). This represents the second year of reporting since this requirement came into force and the average sulphur continued below this level in 2010,

Petrol: the parameters found to be out of specification most frequently within the Union in 2010 were:

· summer vapour pressure was exceeded 215 times in 2010 or 1.85% of the total samples. However it is becoming apparent that many exceedences are the result of transitional fuels when suppliers swap the summer specification fuel for winter specification fuels and vice versa;

· RON/ MON samples found to be out of specification in 2010 totalled 59 samples or 0.5 % of the total samples;

· the sulphur content maximum of 10ppm was exceeded in 34 samples or 0.29 % of the total samples, with the highest sample value being 45.9 mg/kg. However the average sulphur content for all Member States remains below the mandatory limit of 10ppm at 5.8 ppm.

Diesel: for diesel the main parameters where exceedances were identified were sulphur content, distillation 95% point and cetane number.

· in spite of the average EU sulphur content remaining below the mandatory 10ppm limit - at 6.5 ppm,- there were 169 samples or 1.26 % of the total samples found to be non-compliant;

· a total of 38 samples exceeded distillation limits in 2010;

· in total, 4 samples tested for cetane number were found to be out of specification.

As exceedances are relatively rare and most Member States take action to remove non- compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances . However, the Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future and to ensure that report are submitted to the Commission within the requested deadlines.

The progressive adoption of standard EN 14274 by Member States is leading to greater consistency in the data available for assessment of the various fuel quality parameters and Member States have been making efforts to improve their understanding of reporting requirements.

However, the report encourages Member States to continue to improve the timeliness of the submissions. It adds that several Member States do not complete sufficient sampling for all fuels or are not sampling sufficiently at service stations (as opposed to depot/refinery) to meet the requirements of EN 14274. Where Member States use their own national monitoring systems, such systems should be fully described in order to be able to verify whether they comply with the European Standard.

EUR-Lex
COM(2012)0749

In accordance with the requirements of Directive 98/70/EC the Commission presents its eighth annual report covering the year 2009 on the quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union. The report summarises Member States' submissions on the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold, for the year 2009. All Member States except Luxembourg, which had failed to deliver a report in the previous two years, submitted a full report for 2009. Luxembourg has provided fuel sales data, but carried out no sampling in 2009, meaning that its report is incomplete. In 2010 it has been reported that Luxembourg has started to sample.

The timeliness of the submission of reports has improved considerably in 2009 . Fourteen Member States submitted their 2009 report before the annual deadline, of the remaining thirteen reports submitted, all except two were received less than one month after the reporting deadline.

Fuel quality monitoring in 2009 showed that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and again few exceedances were identified . For petrol the main parameters where exceedances were identified were research/motor octane number (RON/MON), summer vapour pressure, distillation/evaporation at 100/150°C4 and the maximum sulphur content. For diesel the main parameters where exceedances were identified were sulphur content, distillation 95% point and cetane number.

As exceedances are relatively rare and most Member States take action to remove non- compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances. However, the Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future. The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the fuel quality requirements laid down in the Directive.

Low sulphur content helps reduce air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology. Under Directive 2003/17/EC, a new specification for automotive road fuels came into force on 1 January 2009 that limits the sulphur content of all automotive road fuels in the EU to 10 ppm (sulphur-free fuels). This represents the first year of reporting since this conversion and, accordingly, the average sulphur content fell in 2009 and is substantially below the level reported in 2004.

National monitoring systems : Commission Decision 2002/159/EC and European Standard EN 14274, have enhanced the usefulness of the information and facilitated analysis of EU fuel trends. The quality of the monitoring systems’ design, compliance with limit values and information provided in report submissions is continuing to improve. However, there are still a few key areas for improvement, summarised as follows:

· Member States are encouraged to continue to improve the timeliness of the submissions;

· several Member States do not fulfil sufficient sampling numbers for all fuels or are not sampling in sufficient numbers at refuelling stations (as opposed to depot/refinery) to meet with the requirements of European Standard EN 142747. Any such samples should be additional to the minimum number of samples required at refuelling stations;

· where Member States use their own national systems, they should be fully described in order to verify whether they comply with the European Standard. This description should show the monitoring system’s equivalency in statistical confidence to EN 14274.

Lastly, Member State reports are assessed according to the appropriate seasonal periods to ensure comparability for EU-wide reporting. Where a Member State has chosen to utilise a different seasonal period to that specified, appropriate information should be provided in the national annex within the Fuel Quality Monitoring report.

COM(2012)0127
EUR-Lex

In accordance with the requirements under Directive 98/70/EC, as amended by Directive 2003/17/EC, the Commission presents its sixth annual report on the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold, in the EU for the year 2007.

Fuel quality is environmentally important because it affects engine pollutant emissions and thus air quality as well as the ease and cost with which pollutant and greenhouse gas emission limits can be achieved by manufacturers. The monitoring of fuel quality in 2007 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and very few exceedances were identified . For petrol the main parameters where exceedances were identified were research/motor octane number, summer vapour pressure and distillation/evaporation at 100/150°C. For diesel the main parameters where exceedances were identified were sulphur content and distillation 95% point. As exceedances are relatively rare and most Member States take action to remove non-compliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances. However, the Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future. The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the fuel quality requirements laid down in the Directive and propose appropriate and proportionate action where necessary.

All petrol and diesel sales in the EU are now of low-sulphur or sulphur-free fuels . Of all petrol sold, 53% was low-sulphur and 47% sulphur-free. Of all diesel sold the equivalent split was 58% and 42%.

The share of sulphur-free and low-sulphur fuels increased from 2001 to 2005. Lower sulphur content helps the abatement of air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology. The average sulphur content of fuels has stabilised since 2005, when low-sulphur fuels became mandatory and sulphur-free fuels were introduced across the EU. However in a number of Member States they are still not always labelled properly at the pump . Without labelling, consumers have no ability to choose sulphur-free fuels and are less likely to utilise technology requiring these fuels. This significantly undermines the value of having fuels meeting this criterion available. Therefore, this lack of labelling could hamper the introduction of vehicles using technology requiring sulphur-free fuels. As a result the full potential offered for reductions in CO2 from the road transport sector may not be realised.

Reporting on labelling could help the automotive industry gain confidence in fuel availability so that vehicles taking full advantage of the sulphur-free fuels are more widely introduced, leading to lower pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. Very limited information has been provided by Member States on the geographical availability of sulphur-free fuels; most Member States simply stated that they were widely available, but provided no supplementary information to provide a measure of the geographical availability.

The fuel quality monitoring systems established at national level differ considerably and require further uniformity in order to provide transparent and comparable results. The implementation of Directive 2003/17/EC has led to improved quality of reporting as it requires Member States to report on monitoring in accordance to the new European Standard, EN 14274, or with systems of equivalent confidence. Where Member States do not report according to EN 14274 format, justification for this must be provided.

COM(2011)0113
EUR-Lex

In accordance with the requirements of Directive 98/70/EC the Commission presents its seventh annual report covering the year 2008 on the quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union. The report summarises Member States’ submissions on the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold, for the year 2008. All Member States except Luxembourg, which had already failed to deliver a report in 2007, submitted national reports for 2008.

The quality of Member State’s monitoring system design, level of compliance with limit values, and information provided in report submissions is still improving . The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the requirements laid down in the Directive and propose appropriate and proportionate action where necessary.

Sales: all petrol and diesel sales in the EU are now of low-sulphur and sulphur-free fuels. Of all petrol sold, 55% was low-sulphur and 45% sulphur-free (<10 ppm). Of all diesel sold the equivalent split was 49% and 51%. The variety of RON and sulphur grade fuels available across the EU decreased in 2005 with the new mandatory limit of <50ppm sulphur. The majority of petrol sales in 2008 comprised RON 95 (84%, with 46% low sulphur and 38% sulphur-free).

Fuel quality monitoring in 2008 showed that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and again few exceedances were identified. For petrol the main parameters where exceedances were identified were research/motor octane number (RON/MON), summer vapour pressure and distillation/evaporation at 100/150°C. There was also an increase in the number of samples exceeding sulphur content limit values. For diesel the main parameters where exceedances were identified were sulphur content, distillation 95% point and cetane number. As exceedances are relatively rare and most Member States take action to remove noncompliant fuel from sale, the Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning due to these exceedances. However, the Commission urges Member States to continue to take action to ensure full compliance so that such problems do not arise in the future.

The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the fuel quality requirements laid down in the Directive.

Low sulphur content helps the abatement of air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology. Average sulphur content fell in 2008 and is substantially below the level reported in 2004. This was the largest fall since 2005, when low-sulphur fuels were made mandatory and sulphur-free fuels were introduced across the EU. 2008 is the final year that low-sulphur fuels will comply with the Directive. Therefore the fall in average sulphur content may have been the result of Member States preparing for the 2009 limit of <10ppm.

The report notes, however in a number of Member States sulphur-free fuels are still not always labelled properly at the pump . This may have delayed the introduction of vehicles using technology requiring sulphur-free fuels before full mandatory introduction in 2009. Without labelling, consumers can not choose these fuels and are less likely to utilise technology requiring sulphur-free fuel. This undermines the value of having fuels meeting this criterion available. As a result, the full potential offered for reductions in CO2 from the road transport sector may not have been realised. Also, limited information has been provided by Member States on the geographical availability of sulphur-free fuels; most Member States simply stated that they were widely available, but provided no supplementary information to provide a measure of the geographical availability. However, this should no longer be an issue in 2009 when sulphur-free fuels will become mandatory.

The fuel quality monitoring systems established at national level differ considerably and require further uniformity in order to provide transparent and comparable results. The implementation of Directive 2003/17/EC has led to improved quality of reporting as it requires Member States to report on monitoring in accordance to the new European Standard, EN 14274, or with systems of equivalent confidence. Where Member States do not report according to EN 14274 format, justification for this must be provided.

COM(2011)0116
EUR-Lex

The Commission reports on fuel quality in Member States pursuant to Article 8 of Directive 98/70/EC which sets minimum specifications on health and environmental grounds for fuels to be used for vehicles equipped with positive-ignition and compression-ignition engines. Fuel quality is environmentally important because it affects engine pollutant emissions and thus air quality as well as the ease and cost with which desired pollutant and greenhouse gas emission limits can be achieved by manufacturers.

Directive 2003/17/EC, amending Directive 98/70/EC, requires a further reduction of the sulphur content of petrol and diesel fuels. Non-respect of the fuel specification can lead to increased emissions and might damage engine and exhaust after-treatment systems, leading to higher air pollutant emissions. This 5 th Commission Report summarises Member States’ submissions on the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold, for the year 2006. All Member States except Malta submitted national reports for 2006.

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2006 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC are in general met and again few exceedances were identified.

For petrol the main parameters where exceedances were identified were research/motor octane number (RON/MON), summer vapour pressure and distillation/evaporation at 100/150°C. For diesel the main parameters where exceedances were identified were sulphur content, distillation 95% point, cetane number and density.

Although several Member States reported non-compliant samples, in general fewer samples exceeded the limit values (and the limits of tolerance for the test methods) compared to previous years. Several of the new EU10 Member States previously reported significant numbers of samples non-compliant with limit values, but the number of non-compliant samples they reported has reduced significantly in 2006. Belgium reported a higher proportion

(~3.5%) of non-compliant samples than other Member States in 2005 (though improved on previous years). However insufficient detail has been provided in 2006 to gauge actual non-compliance numbers. Sulphur content for diesel was a particular problem in previous years (mainly for EU-10), due to the new mandatory <50 ppm level from the start of 2005. However, this problem appears to have been resolved in 2006.

The Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning related to these exceedances, but continues to urge Member States to take action in order to ensure full compliance. The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the fuel quality requirements laid down in the Directive.

The share of <10 and <50 ppm fuels have been increasing from 2001 to 2005. For 2006 the

proportions have increased significantly, with the <50 ppm sulphur limit becoming mandatory, and the requirement for introduction of <10 ppm sulphur fuels across the EU.

Zero sulphur fuels were available in the majority of Member States in 2006 (UK, Malta and Cyprus still need to introduce these fuels). However, from current indications there are still cases where the grades do not appear to be labelled in certain Member States.

This lack of labelling could hamper the introduction of vehicles using technology requiring sulphur-free fuels before full mandatory introduction in 2009 since without labelling consumers have no possibility to choose these fuels. This is particularly important for owners of vehicles utilising technology that requires sulphur-free fuel and significantly undermines the value of having fuels meeting this criterion available. As a result the full potential offered for reductions in CO2 from the road transport sector would not be realised. Belgium, Czech Republic, Ireland, Latvia, Luxemburg, Slovakia and Slovenia are countries where action could be taken to ensure zero sulphur fuels are labelled in future years. Reporting on this labelling could help the automotive industry gain confidence in fuel availability so that vehicles taking full advantage of the zero sulphur content are more widely introduced leading to an environmental gain through lower pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions. In general very limited information has been provided by Member States on the geographical availability of zero sulphur fuels. Most Member States simply stating they were widely available, but provided no supplementary information to provide a measure of the geographical availability.

The fuel quality monitoring systems established at national level differ considerably and require further harmonisation in order to provide transparent and comparable results. The implementation of Directive 2003/17/EC has led to improved quality of reporting as it requires Member States to report on monitoring in accordance to the new European Standard, EN 14274, or with systems of equivalent confidence.

COM(2008)0799
EUR-Lex

This Communication is the Commission’s fourth annual report on the quality of petrol and diesel as well as the volumes sold in the Community. It covers the year 2005 and has been prepared in accordance with Article 8 of Directive 98/70/EC.

In short, the report finds:

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2005 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC have, by and large, been met. For petrol the main parameters where limit values were exceeded concerns research octane number (RON), summer vapour pressure and distillation/evaporation at 100/150°C . For diesel, the main parameters where limit values were exceeded is sulphur content, distillation 95% point, cetane number and density. Although several Member States reported non-compliant samples, in general far fewer samples exceeded the limit values (and the limits of tolerance for the test methods) compared to previous years. However, several EU-10 Member States reported significant numbers of non-compliant samples. Belgium reported a higher proportion (~3.5%) of non-compliant samples than other Member States, but has improved compliance levels on previous years.

For the abatement of air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology it is important to note that the share of <10 ppm and <50 ppm sulphur fuels increased significantly between 2001 and 2005 in the EU-15. From 2005, it was mandatory for all fuel to meet the <50 ppm sulphur level, and for fuels of <10 ppm sulphur to be introduced in all Member States. Average sulphur content in 2005 is substantially below that reported in 2004.

The share of <10 and <50 ppm fuels has been increasing between 2001 and 2004. For 2005 the proportions have increased significantly, with the <50 ppm sulphur limit becoming mandatory, and the requirement for introduction of <10 ppm sulphur fuels across the EU. Zero sulphur fuels were available in the majority of Member States in 2005 (UK, Malta and Cyprus still need to introduce these fuels). However, according to current indications there are still cases where the grades do not appear to be labelled in certain Member States. Sulphur content for diesel proved a particular problem in 2005 (mainly in the EU-10), due to the new mandatory <50 ppm level from the start of 2005. Several of the EU-10 Member States had problems with sales of higher sulphur grades early in the year, and there appeared to be a higher number of samples contaminated with higher sulphur diesel or gas oil than in previous years.

The Commission is not aware of any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning related to these exceedances, but continues to urge Member States to take action in order to ensure full compliance. Most are doing so already, and details of action taken by Member States with regard to non-compliance are included, where provided, in the individual country chapters of the detailed report for 2005. The Commission will continue monitoring compliance with the fuel quality requirements laid down in the Directive and aims to improve its analysis of the data provided from reporting year 2006 onwards.

COM(2007)0617
EUR-Lex

In compliance with Article 8 of Directive 98/70/EC the European Commission has prepared this Report which summarises the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold in the Community for the year 2004. For the reporting years 2001 and 2002 please refer to the previous summaries.

The monitoring of fuel quality in 2004 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC have, by and large, been met. Few violations have been identified.

For petrol the main area parameter of concern was again research octane number (RON, 34 + samples), summer vapour pressure (DVPE, 43 + samples) and distillation – evaporation at 100 degree C (17 + samples). For diesel the parameters of concern related to sulphur content (22 samples), distillation 95% (24 samples) point, cetane number ( 7+ samples) and density (5+ samples).

Although several Member States reported non-compliant samples, far fewer samples exceeded the limit values (and the limits of tolerance for the test methods) compared to previous years. However, both the Czech Republic and Poland reported significant numbers of samples exceeding limit values. The Commission urges the Member States to take action in order to ensure full compliance.

For the abatement of air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology, it is important to note that the share of < 10 ppm and 50 ppm sulphur fuels increased significantly from 2001 to 2004 for the EU-15. For the new Member States (EU-10) the sulphur content is significantly higher leading to a slight increase in average sulphur between 2003 and 2004 for the whole of the EU. However, overall, figures show a general trend towards lower sulphur content in petrol and diesel fuel.

Lastly, the fuel quality monitoring systems established at national level differ considerably and require further uniformity in order to provide transparent and comparable results. The quality of reporting has improved since Member States have been obliged to report in accordance with the new European Standard EN14274 or with systems of equivalent confidence.

COM(2006)0186
EUR-Lex

The European Commission has published its second annual report on the quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the EU.

Article 8 of Directive 98/70/EC requires the Commission to publish annually a report on the actual fuel quality in the different Member States. In compliance with this request this report briefly summarises Member States’ submissions on the quality of petrol and diesel, as well as the volumes sold, for the year 2003. All Member States but France submitted national reports for 2003.

Monitoring of fuel quality in 2003 shows that the specifications for petrol and diesel laid down in Directive 98/70/EC were generally met. Very few violations were identified.

For petrol the main parameters of concern were research octane number (RON, 14+ samples), summer vapour pressure (DVPE, 10+ samples) and distillation - evaporation at 100°C (6+ samples).

For diesel the parameters of concern were sulphur content (5 samples), distillation 95% point (2 samples), cetane number (1 sample), density (1 sample) and PAH (1 sample). The Commission has not identified any negative repercussions on vehicle emissions or engine functioning but continues to urge Member States to take action in order to ensure full compliance.

For the abatement of air pollution and the introduction of new engine technology it is important to note that the share of less than 10 ppm and less than 50 ppm sulphur fuels increased significantly from 2001 to 2003. Overall a general trend towards lower sulphur content in petrol and diesel fuel can be identified.

COM(2005)0069
EUR-Lex

COM(2004)0310
EUR-Lex

Directive 1998/70
OJ L 350 28.12.1998, p. 0058

OJ C 313 12.10.1998, p. 0023-0031
T4-0465/1998

Debate in Parliament

T4-0465/1998

A4-0313/1998
OJ C 313 12.10.1998, p. 0009

A4-0313/1998

3620/1998

3620/1998

EUR-Lex
COM(1998)0241

OJ C 080 16.03.1998, p. 0082-0092
T4-0074/1998

T4-0074/1998

The rapporteur fought the corner for fuel quality. She particularly denounced the use of diesel which posed a threat to health and called for investment to be made in ‘clean’ technologies. Commissioner Papoutsis felt that it was premature to define compulsory standards now which would become applicable in 2005. Recalling that the European Union already had a framework for tax incentives to encourage the use of ‘clean’ cars, he could support the ban in the year 2000 on leaded petrol throughout the Community, provided that some Member States could benefit from an exemption to allow them time to adapt their many vehicles still using leaded petrol. Finally, he indicated the Commission’s acceptance of the following amendments: Nos 11, 13, 14, second part, 17, 23, third and fourth parts, and 24, first part. However, he rejected all the other amendments.

Debate in Parliament

A4-0038/1998
OJ C 080 16.03.1998, p. 0004

A4-0038/1998

EUR-Lex
SEC(1997)1874

10050/2/1997
OJ C 351 19.11.1997, p. 0001

10050/2/1997

EUR-Lex
OJ C 209 10.07.1997, p. 0025
COM(1997)0271

EUR-Lex
COM(1997)0271

CES0473/1997
OJ C 206 07.07.1997, p. 0113

OJ C 132 28.04.1997, p. 0125-0159
T4-0163/1997

T4-0163/1997

The rapporteur criticised the conditions under which the air quality measurements had been taken. These really should have been taken in the most affected areas. He also regretted that the Auto/Oil study had fixed targets for 2010. In his opinion, more prescriptive standards needed to be set for 2000 and 2005. This would still give refiners the time to modernise their refineries and supply clean diesel. In this respect, he noted that there were already refineries using clean technology to produce clean diesel, even if this was for the United States of America and Japan and not for Europe. While confirming that a ban on leaded petrol was needed after the year 2000, Commissioner Papoutsis justified the derogation until 1 January 2002 at the latest. He added that the Commission could accept around ten of the amendments which particularly dealt with buses, taxis and commercial vehicles and also specific fuels (LPG, natural gas vehicle fuel and biofuels). On the other hand, he rejected the remaining amendments as they worked against the cost-effectiveness criterion, they specified measures shown not to be economically efficient or which were not scientifically proven or they were superfluous.

Debate in Parliament

A4-0096/1997
OJ C 132 28.04.1997, p. 0005

A4-0096/1997

1990

1978

1956

EUR-Lex
COM(1996)0248

EUR-Lex
COM(1996)0248