MEPs strengthen draft petrol vapour recovery law

Publication date: 06 April 2009

MEPs strengthen draft petrol vapour recovery law

EU service stations selling more than 3,000 cubic metres of fuel annually should install vapour recovery systems by 2018, MEPs said on Monday. The aim is to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds, which contribute to ground-level ozone pollution. Members of the parliament's environment committee agreed to bring forward the deadline proposed by the European commission by two years. Governments support the commission's proposal (EE 24/03/09). Greek rapporteur Dimitrios Papadimoulis had proposed a 2015 deadline.

MEPs also agreed to increase the minimum capture efficiency of vapour recovery systems from the commission's proposed 85 per cent to 90 per cent. Mr Papadimoulis wanted a minimum capture efficiency of 95 per cent.

Mr Papadimoulis failed to find support among fellow MEPs to increase the law's scope to fuelling stations larger than 2,000m3. However, MEPs agreed with the rapporteur that information about law breaches should be made publicly available. The law should also apply to stations beneath residential buildings as proposed by the commission, the committee said. The proposals will be voted by the parliament's full assembly in early May.

Source: ENDS Europe