BY
start of the next decade, all petrol engine cars driving in the European Union
will have to run on sulphur-free fuel, if EU ministers back fresh proposals from
the European Commission.
The commission wants sulphur banned from petrol in the EU by 2011, and has
proposed that sulphur-free petrol and diesel should be made available in every
member state from January 1, 2005.
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However, because the anti-pollution benefits of sulphur-free diesel are less
certain than that of petrol, the date for banning sulphurous diesel is to be
fixed “as part of a later review.”
Brussels thinks sulphur elimination is important, because the chemical damages
catalytic converters and makes them less efficient. With sulphur-free fuel,
they would be better able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Environment commissioner Margot Wallstrom said: “The availability of sulphur-free
petrol will remove an important technical barrier to the introduction of the
most advanced fuel-efficient vehicles. We can now expect significant reductions
in emissions of carbon dioxide from new cars, vans, trucks and buses. In addition,
these fuels will help clean up the emissions of older more polluting vehicles.”
A commission statement said that the impact of sulphur-free fuels would be
taken into account when monitoring the commitment made by EU, Japanese and Korean
vehicle manufacturers to make vehicles emitting 140 g CO2 per kilometre, and
also in an oncoming 2003 review of these greenhouse gas emissions levels.
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