Evaluation of Directive 98/70/EC of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels as amended : final report

This report presents the findings of an evaluation study contracted by the European Commission concerning Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (the Fuel Quality Directive (FQD)). Work on this contract was undertaken by Amec Foster Wheeler with CE Delft and TNO. The aim of the study is to carry out an evaluation on a number of specific Articles of the FQD, assessing their effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, relevance and EU added value. The two main aims of the FQD are to ensure a single market for fuel in the EU, and to ensure high minimum levels of environmental and health protection in relation to fuel use. The legal underpinning for this is in Article 100a of the Treaty, establishing the European Community, which relates to measures with the aim of establishing or ensuring the functioning of the internal market. This Article also envisages that Commission proposals in this area, which concern health, safety, environmental protection and consumer protection, will take as a base a high level of protection, and that the European Parliament and the Council will seek to achieve the same objective. The FQD includes rules that ban petrol with lead and limit the amount of sulphur in diesel fuels in order to improve air quality and includes targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, alongside the amending acts, establishes technical specifications to be applied to petrol, diesel and biofuels used in road transport, as well as to gas oils used in non-road mobile machinery (NRMM).