# CE2004084EN.01083401.xml

| 3.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 84/834 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |

3.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 84/834

---

(2004/C 84 E/0928)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0657/04

by Chris Davies (ELDR) to the Commission

(9 March 2004)

Subject:   Misfuelling of motor vehicles

Subject:

Is the Commission aware that hundreds of thousands of drivers across the EU each year inadvertently fill their vehicles with the wrong fuel, either petrol or diesel?

In the UK alone it is reported that some 120 000 misfuelling incidents take place at filling stations each year, resulting in costly service bills, damage to vehicles, and potential environmental pollution.

Possible solutions include altering the shape of fuel tanks and pipe nozzles to ensure that petrol and diesel systems are entirely separated, clearer markings, and use of audio warnings.

As vehicle manufacturers and fuel suppliers work on an EU-wide basis, will the Commission take the initiative to bring together interested parties to consider proposals for long-term solutions to the problem, and will the Commission consider legislative measures if voluntary agreement cannot be secured?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(15 April 2004)

(15 April 2004)

The Commission acknowledges the risk, as identified by the Honourable Member, of mistakes being made by motorists when re-fuelling their vehicles at filling stations.

The Commission considered this matter in 1991, when the introduction into the market of vehicles provided with after-treatment systems, such as catalysts, made necessary certain provisions to prevent the use of leaded petrol in vehicles which should only accept unleaded petrol.

To this end, Council Directive 91/441/EEC of 26 June 1991 relating to measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles (1), establishes in its Annex I, that the inlet orifice of the fuel tank of a car intended to use unleaded petrol must be so designed that it prevents filling with a petrol pump delivery nozzle designed for leaded petrol.

1

Since the application of this Directive, petrol pump delivery nozzles with different diameters have been used to refill petrol cars using unleaded petrol or leaded petrol, and so costly confusion between the fuels being prevented.

Though this provision no longer has any relevance since leaded petrol is no longer permitted, this technical requirement would generally prevent a car running on unleaded petrol from being refuelled with diesel fuel. However, it would not prevent diesel cars from being refuelled with petrol.

With respect to the possible confusion between unleaded petrol and diesel fuel the Commission will consult all relevant stakeholders, i.e. vehicle manufacturers and fuel pump equipment manufacturers which are subject to the Machinery Directive (2), in order to assess all the aspects of the problem and of the practical implementation of possible solutions of a legislative or non-legislative nature.

2

---

(1)  OJ L 242, 30.8.1991.

1

(2)  Directive 98/37/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to machinery, OJ L 207, 23.7.1998.

2

---