To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 18 June 2009, Official Report, columns 427-8W, on diesel fuel: EU action, what information his Department holds on the applications (a) made by and (b) granted to member states for derogation from the Fuel Quality Directive 98/70 (EC) in respect of the sulphur content of fuel since its inception. (282575)

The Department for Transport is not aware of such a derogation ever having been either requested by or granted to a Member State. EU Fuel Quality Monitoring reports¹ suggest that, with the exception of transitional problems for two accession Member States in 2005, EU petrol and diesel are generally well within the mandatory sulphur content limits.

¹ http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/intemal_market/single _market_for_goods/motor_vehicles/interactions_industry _policies/l28077_en.htm