REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union Eleventh annual report (Reporting year 2012).

Abstract

This report represents a consolidation of the eleventh year of Member States’ submissions under Directive 98/70/EC1 (the “Directive”), summarising the quality of petrol and diesel used for road transport in the EU for 2012. Specifications for petrol and diesel sold for road transport in the EU are included in the Directive: the first specifications entered into force on 1 January 2000; the second on 1 January 2005 and the third on 1 January 2009 which limited the sulphur content of all automotive road fuels in the EU to 10 ppm. Additional requirements are defined in the European Standard for fuel quality monitoring systems (“FQMS”), EN 14274:2012, required from 2004. The Directive also stipulates that Member States are required to report summaries of the quality of fuels sold in their territories. The original reporting format for this was laid out in Commission Decision 2002/159/EC of 18 February 20022. The requirements of the Directive have evolved with the introduction of new fuel specifications and reporting requirements. 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 template follows the reporting requirements outlined in Commission Decision 2002/159/EC and is annually reviewed and agreed by the Commission. 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. All Member States submitted their report in the template provided. Of the 27 annual FQMS reports, 19 were received within the reporting deadline of 30 June, six were received less than one week late and the last two reports were submitted within two months of the original deadline. 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.