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EC's Fuel Quality Directive to be Amended
December 19, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS
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| Part of the European Commission (EC) climate and energy package, which was accepted, as amended, by the European Parliament on Dec. 17, included new legislation on fuel quality.
The new amendment to Directive 98/70/EC on environmental quality standards for gasoline (petrol) and diesel fuels aims at:
- Further tightening environmental quality standards for a number of fuel parameters.
- Enabling more widespread use of ethanol in gasoline.
- Introducing a mechanism for reporting and reducing life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from fuel.
Key elements of the amendment include:
- Reduction in life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from energy supplied. For now, a binding target of 6% creates a very important first step while leaving open the possibility for increasing the future level of ambition to 10%.
To that effect, in a 2012 review, the EC will need to assess a further increase of the ambition level of 2% from other technological advances, such as the supply of electricity for use in transport. This increases the technological neutrality of the directive and will encourage innovation.
Subject to that review, a further 2% is envisaged to be achieved by the use of the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism credits for flaring reductions not linked to EU oil consumption.
- Incorporation of sustainability criteria for biofuels used to meet the greenhouse gas reduction requirement. In addition, the creation of a specific committee, formed jointly with the Renewable Energy Directive, to coordinate the energy and environment aspects for the future development of biofuel sustainability criteria.
- Reduction of the sulphur content of inland waterway fuel in one step to 10 ppm by Jan. 1, 2011.
- Phasing in of 10% ethanol (E10) into gasoline. To avoid potential damage to old cars, continued marketing of gasoline containing a maximum of 5% ethanol is guaranteed until 2013, with the possibility of an extension beyond that date, if needed.
- Derogations for gasoline vapor pressure for cold summer conditions and blending in of ethanol are subject to EC approval following an assessment of the socio-economic and environmental impacts, in particular on air quality.
- Introduction of labeling requirement for metallic additives for consumer protection purposes. There is a limit on the use of the specific additive MMT in line with the precautionary principle. This limit can be raised if it is demonstrated it does not cause adverse effects.
Source: European Commission.
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