PURPOSE: to reduce harmful emissions at service stations.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive 2009/126/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on Stage II petrol vapour recovery during refuelling of motor vehicles at service stations
CONTENT: following a first reading agreement with the European Parliament, the Council adopted this directive that will decrease harmful emissions from petrol vapour at service stations. The Directive obliges numerous filling stations to install equipment recovering harmful gases that escape when refuelling cars and other vehicles.
It defines ‘Stage II petrol vapour recovery system’ as equipment aimed at recovering the petrol vapour displaced from the fuel tank of a motor vehicle during refuelling at a service station and which transfers that petrol vapour to a storage tank at the service station or back to the petrol dispenser for resale.
The main points of the Directive are as follows:
Service stations: the Directive states that any new service station (built on 1 January 2012 and after) shall be equipped with a Stage II petrol vapour recovery system if:
Furthermore, any existing service station which undergoes a major refurbishment must l be equipped with a Stage II petrol vapour recovery system at the time of the refurbishment if:
Any existing service station with a throughput in excess of 3 000 m 3 /year shall be equipped with a Stage II petrol vapour recovery system by no later than 31 December 2018.
By way of derogation these provisions will not apply to service stations exclusively used in association with the construction and delivery of new motor vehicles.
Minimum level of petrol vapour recovery: with effect from the date on which Stage II petrol vapour recovery systems become mandatory, the petrol vapour capture efficiency of such systems must be equal to or greater than 85 % as certified by the manufacturer in accordance with relevant European technical standards or type approval procedures referred to in the Directive or, if there are no such standards or procedures, with any relevant national standard.
With effect from the date on which Stage II petrol vapour recovery systems become mandatory, where the recovered petrol vapour is transferred to a storage tank at the service station, the vapour/petrol ratio shall be equal to or greater than 0,95 but less than or equal to 1,05.
Periodic checks and consumer information: Member States shall ensure that the in-service petrol vapour capture efficiency of Stage II petrol vapour recovery systems is tested at least once each year either by checking that the vapour/petrol ratio under simulated petrol flow conditions is in conformity with the provisions of the Directive or by any other appropriate methodology.
When a service station has installed a Stage II petrol vapour recovery system, it must display a sign, sticker or other notification on, or in the vicinity of, the petrol dispenser, informing consumers of that fact. Review
Review: the Commission shall, by 31 December 2014, review the implementation of the Directive and, in particular:
It shall report the results of that review to the European Parliament and to the Council accompanied, if appropriate, by a legislative proposal.
Technical adaptations: the Commission is empowered to adopt certain implementing measures on harmonised standards in accordance with the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 31/10/2009.
APPLICATION: from 01/01/2012.