Fuel quality monitoring in the EU in 2023

Fuel and fuel combustion products are affecting human and animal directly and indirectly – for example by inhaling gaseous pollutants or by consuming harmful substances deposited in soil, food, and crops.

To minimise the negative effects on health and the environment from the use of petrol and diesel fuels, EU Member States must report information relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels sold for road transport in their territories. More specifically, Member States must sample fuels each year and analyse their technical characteristics to ensure that they are consistent with the requirements of Article 8 of the Directive 98/70/EC, relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (the Fuel Quality Directive, FQD).

This report is structured into two main chapters. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the information for the EU while Chapter 3 describes the different national fuel quality monitoring systems. Member State specific information can be found in both chapters – in Chapter 2 in form of several overviews and in Chapter 3 as country fact sheets. Details on the parameters, reported in accordance with Article 8 and their effects on the environment and human health, can be found in EEA-Report No 05/2019.