Directive 2015/652 - Calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 107/26

The method for calculating greenhouse gas emissions of fuels and other energy from non-biological sources to be established pursuant to Article 7a(5) of Directive 98/70/EC should yield reporting of sufficient accuracy, so that the Commission can critically assess the performance of suppliers in meeting their obligations under Article 7a(2) of that Directive. The calculation method should ensure accuracy, while having due regard for the complexity of the associated administrative requirements. At the same time, it should incentivise suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the fuel they supply. Careful consideration should also be given to the impact of the calculation method on refineries in the Union. Hence, the calculation method should be based on average greenhouse gas intensities that represent an industry average value which is typical for a particular fuel. This would have the advantage of reducing the administrative burden on suppliers and Member States. At this stage, the proposed calculation method should not require differentiation of the greenhouse gas intensity of fuel on the basis of the source of the raw material, as this would affect current investments in certain refineries in the Union.

Reporting requirements for suppliers which are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC (2) should be minimised as far as possible in the context of Article 7a(1) of Directive 98/70/EC. Similarly, importers of petrol and diesel refined outside the Union should not be obliged to provide detailed information about the sources of the crude oils used to make those fuels, as this information may not be available or may be difficult to obtain.

In order to incentivise further greenhouse gas emission reductions, savings claimed from upstream emission reductions (UERs), including from flaring and venting, should be included in the calculation of suppliers' life cycle greenhouse gas emissions. In order to facilitate the claiming of UERs by suppliers, the use of various emission schemes should be allowed for calculating and certifying emission reductions. Only UER projects which start after the date of the establishment of the fuel baseline standard set out in Article 7a(5)(b) of Directive 98/70/EC, i.e. 1 January 2011, should be eligible.

Weighted average greenhouse gas default values representing the crude oils consumed in the Union provide a simple calculation method by which suppliers may determine the greenhouse gas content of the fuel they supply.

UERs should be estimated and validated in accordance with principles and standards identified in International Standards, and in particular ISO 14064, ISO 14065 and ISO 14066.

It is furthermore appropriate to facilitate the implementation by Member States of legislation on UERs, including from flaring and venting. To this end, non-legislative guidance should be prepared under the auspices of the Commission on approaches to quantify, verify, validate, monitor and report such UERs (including reductions in flaring and...