Fuel quality in the EU in 2024: 274 non-compliances for petrol and 31 for diesel — most often vapour pressure, octane number and sulphur content
On 26 June 2026 the European Topic Centre on Climate change mitigation, working for the European Environment Agency, published a report on fuel quality monitoring in the EU in 2024, based on data reported by the Member States under Directive 98/70/EC. Most key fuel parameters in the samples were within the tolerance limits.
- Each year Member States sample petrol and diesel at filling stations and check them against the directive’s requirements; the monitoring system is set up according to EN 14274 (statistical models A, B or C) or a national system. Poland uses model B for a large country and in 2024 tested 633 petrol samples (520 required) and 487 diesel samples (400 required).
- Across the EU, 274 non-compliances were reported for petrol (240 in 2023) and 31 for diesel (62 in 2023). Poland reported 2 petrol non-compliances (MON, vapour pressure) and 1 for diesel (FAME content). Belgium had the most — 84 for petrol and 14 for diesel — out of a total of 8,048 samples tested.
- For petrol, exceedances concerned summer vapour pressure (11 Member States), MON (9), RON (8), oxygen and ethanol content (5 each) and sulphur (4); for diesel, most often sulphur content, distillation and FAME. Nine Member States reported full compliance for petrol and 19 for diesel.
- The directive requires, among other things, a RON of at least 95 and a MON of at least 85 (Member States may allow regular petrol with RON 91 and MON 81), a summer vapour pressure of no more than 60 kPa and no more than 10 mg/kg of sulphur; individual measurement results are interpreted according to EN ISO 4259-2. Member States report the data for the previous year by 31 August.
Source: ETC CM Report 2026/01 — Fuel quality monitoring in the EU in 2024 (EEA/Eionet, 26.06.2026)