Fuel Quality

Policy

Fuels used for road transport in the EU have to meet strict quality requirements to protect human health and the environment and make sure that vehicles can safely travel from one country to another.

Common fuel quality rules help

reduce greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions
establish a single fuel market and ensure that vehicles can operate everywhere in the EU on the basis of compatible fuels.

EU legislation, the Fuel Quality Directive, requires a reduction of the greenhouse gas intensity of transport fuels by a minimum of 6% by 2020. Together with the Renewable Energy Directive, it also regulates the sustainability of biofuels.

The Fuel Quality Directive applies to

petrol, diesel and biofuels used in road transport
gasoil used in non-road-mobile machinery.

Emissions reporting covers full life-cycle

The greenhouse gas intensity of fuels is calculated on a life-cycle basis, covering emissions from extraction, processing and distribution. Emissions reductions are calculated from a 2010 baseline.

The 6% reduction target is likely to be mainly achieved through

the use of biofuels, electricity, less carbon intense (often gaseous) fossil fuels, and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (such as e-fuels)
a reduction of flaring and venting at the extraction stage of fossil fuel feedstocks.

Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 defines the method to be applied and the details for the reporting of the greenhouse gas intensity of fuels. Member States have been required to apply these rules since 21 April 2017.

There are currently no plans to extend the greenhouse gas reduction target beyond the year 2020. Instead, the Commission has proposed to address the decarbonisation of transport fuels after 2020 in the framework of a revised Renewable Energy Directive.

Fuel quality monitoring reports

Biofuel sustainability

For biofuels to count towards the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, they must meet certain sustainability criteria to minimise the undesired impacts from their production.

The Fuel Quality Directive and the Renewable Energy Directive set out the following requirements:

Greenhouse gas emissions from biofuels must be lower than from the fossil fuel they replace – at least 50% (for installations older than 5 October 2015) and 60% for newer installations.
The raw materials for biofuels cannot be sourced from land with high biodiversity or high carbon stock.

Taking account of indirect land use change

As global demand for biofuels rises, their production can contribute to the conversion of land such as forests and wetlands into agricultural land, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

These emissions from indirect land use change (ILUC) can significantly reduce or even wipe out the greenhouse gas savings from biofuels.

To account for this, the amount of biofuels produced from cereal and other starch-rich crops, sugars and oil crops and from energy crops grown on agricultural land that can be counted as a source of renewable energy is limited to 7% of the energy in transport in the Member States in 2020.

Reducing air pollution

The legislation also governs other elements of fuel quality, primarily linked to air pollutant emissions.

Thanks to the mandatory reduction of the sulphur content under the Fuel Quality Directive, by 2009 the average sulphur content of petrol and diesel was below 10 ppm.

Documentation

Legislation

20/04/2015 - Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 - Calculation methods and reporting requirements relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels
05/10/2015 - Directive 98/70/EC - The quality of petrol and diesel fuels - Consolidated version
23/04/2009 - Directive 2009/30/EC - Amending the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, amending the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC

Documents related to the development of the legislation

31/05/2017 - COM/2017/284 - Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council in accordance with Article 9 of Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels
31/05/2017 - SWD/2017/178 - Evaluation of Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels ('Fuel Quality Directive')
- SWD/2017/179 - Executive summary of the evaluation of Directive 98/70/EC Evaluation of Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels ('Fuel Quality Directive') (FR) (DE)
27/09/2016 - Data requirements and principles for calculating the life cycle GHG intensity of novel transport fuels and invitation to submit data
06/10/2014 - COM (2014) 617 - Proposal for a Council directive on laying down calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels
- 06/10/2014 - COM (2014) 617 Annexes - Methodology for the calculation and reporting of the life cycle greenhouse gas intensity of fuels and energy by fuel suppliers
- 06/10/2014 - SWD (2014) 295 - Executive summary of the impact assessment
- 06/10/2014 - SWD (2014) 296 - Impact assessment
MEMO 14/1095 - Climate action: Reducing the carbon content of transport fuels
17/10/2012 - COM (2012) 595 - Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of te council amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
- 17/10/2012 - SWD (2012) 344 - Executive summary of the impact assessment
- 17/10/2012 - SWD (2012) 343 - Impact assessment
IP/12/1112 - New Commission proposal to minimise the climate impacts of biofuel production
MEMO/12/787 - Q&A - Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC)

Implementing legislation

18/02/2002 - 2002/159/EC - Commission decision of 18 February 2002 on a common format for the submission of summaries of national fuel quality data

Upstream emission reductions

Guidance note on approaches to quantify, verify, validate, monitor and report upstream emission reductions

Metallic fuel additives

These documents were developed for the environmental and health risk assessment of metallic fuel additives currently available or expected to be on the market in the future.

Vapour pressure derogations

Guidance note on notifications of exemptions from the vapour pressure requirements for petrol pursuant to Article 3(4) and (5) of Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels

Derogations

Fuel Quality Monitoring

25/02/2015 - COM/2015/0070 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Twelfth annual report (Reporting year 2013)
14/11/2014 - EU Fuel Quality Monitoring – 2013 Summary Report
10/03/2014 - COM/2014/0127 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Eleventh annual report (Reporting year 2012)
26/06/2013 - COM/2013/0458 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Tenth annual report (Reporting year 2011)
13/12/2012 - COM/2012/0749 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Ninth annual report (Reporting year 2010)
23/03/2012 - COM/2012/0127 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Eighth annual report (Reporting year 2009)
11/03/2011 - COM/2011/0116 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Seventh annual report (Reporting year 2008)
11/03/2011 - COM/2011/0113 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Sixth annual report (Reporting year 2007)
Detailed Fuel Quality Monitoring Summary Reports including Member State data
01/12/2008 - COM/2008/0799 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Fifth annual report(Reporting year 2006)
17/10/2007 - COM/2007/0617 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union: Fourth annual report (Reporting year 2005)
28/04/2006 - COM/2006/0186 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - Third annual report (Reporting year 2004)
02/03/2005 - COM/2005/0069 - Report from the Commission - Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - Second annual report (Reporting year 2003)
27/04/2004 - COM/2004/0310 - Report from the Commission - Quality of gasoline and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - First annual report (Reporting years 2001 and 2002)

Reply to Greenpeace petition

11/12/2014 - Reply to Greenpeace petition

Studies

Studies

06/2017 - Evaluation study of Directive 98/70/EC of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels as amended
06/2017 - Support for the preparation of reports under Article 9 (1) (c) and (j) of Directive 98/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels. Fuel specification for non-road mobile machinery
06/2017 - Impact of higher levels of bio components in transport fuels in the context of the Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998, relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC
12/2014 - Crude oil greenhouse gas emissions calculation methodology for the fuel quality directive (Disclaimer: The policy options in this expert study do not represent the view of the Commission services)
20/10/2014 - The reduction of upstream greenhouse gas emissions from flaring and venting
10/01/2011 - Modelling work carried out for the Commission to inform its understanding of the indirect land use change associated with biofuels and bioliquids