Petrol stations asked to recover harmful emissions 

MEPs adopted a Commission proposal  for a directive laying down measures aimed at reducing the amount of petrol vapour emissions. The Commission tabled the proposal just five months ago, in early December 2008. Its swift first-reading adoption by the House follows an agreement reached in informal negotiations with the Council. 

The new law requires so-called 'Stage II' petrol vapour recovery (PVR) technologies to be fitted to petrol pumps at all new or substantially renovated service stations with an annual petrol throughput of over 500 cubic metres. Others, except the smallest ones, will be obliged to install these technologies by 2018.

Member states are responsible for ensuring that the minimum level of vapour recovery of the new systems is equal to or greater than 85%. They are also expected to draw drivers' attention to recovery systems by labelling petrol pumps appropriately, and come up with rules on effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties in case of non-compliance.

"This directive will improve the protection of European citizens' health by contributing to the attainment of agreed EU air quality standards for two harmful pollutants, ground-level ozone and benzene," said Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, adding that the new law would contribute to the EU's commitment to tackle air pollution "at source".

Benzene is known to cause cancer, and contributes to the formation of ground-level ozone ('smog'), one of the most damaging air pollutants for human health and the environment.

According to the Commission, PVR equipment has already been installed in petrol stations in around half of EU countries, and the directive is now set to extend the technology to the rest of the EU 27.