Today, transport still relies on oil for 94% of its energy needs. Europe imports around 87% of its crude oil and oil products from abroad, with a crude oil import bill estimated at around €187 billion in 2015, and additional costs to the environment.
Research and technological development have led to successful demonstrations of alternative fuel solutions for all transport modes. Market take-up, however, requires additional policy action.
The Clean Power for Transport package aims to facilitate the development of a single market for alternative fuels for transport in Europe:
- A Communication laying out a comprehensive European alternative fuels strategy [COM(2013)17], for the long-term substitution of oil as energy source in all modes of transport;
- A proposal for a Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels recharging and refuelling infrastructure [COM(2013)18];
- An accompanying Impact Assessment [SWD(2013)5];
- A Staff Working Document setting out the needs in terms of market conditions, regulations, codes and standards for a broad market uptake of LNG in the shipping sector [SWD(2013)4].
The final Directive, as adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on 29 September 2014 following the inter-institutional negotiations:
- Requires Member States to develop national policy frameworks for the market development of alternative fuels and their infrastructure;
- Foresees the use of common technical specifications for recharging and refuelling stations;
- Paves the way for setting up appropriate consumer information on alternative fuels, including a clear and sound price comparison methodology.
The required coverage and the timings by which this coverage must be put in place is as follows:
Coverage | Timings | |
Electricity in urban/suburban and other densely populated areas | Appropriate number of publically accessible points | by end 2020 |
CNG in urban/suburban and other densely populated areas | Appropriate number of points | by end 2020 |
CNG along the TEN-T core network | Appropriate number of points | by end 2025 |
Electricity at shore-side | Ports of the TEN-T core network and other ports | by end 2025 |
Hydrogen in the Member States who choose to develop it | Appropriate number of points | by end 2025 |
LNG at maritime ports | Ports of the TEN-T core network | by end 2025 |
LNG at inland ports | Ports of the TEN-T core network | by end 2030 |
LNG for heavy-duty vehicles | Appropriate number of points along the TEN-T core network | by end 2025 |
Directive 2014/94/EU requires Member States to notify to the European Commission National Policy Frameworks (NPFs) for the development of the market as regards alternative fuels in the transport sector and the deployment of the relevant infrastructure. To implement Article 10.2 of Directive 2014/94/EU, the Commission carried out an assessment of the NPFs and their coherence at Union level, including an evaluation of the level of attainment of the national targets and objectives referred to in Article 3 (1) of the Directive. The relevant Staff Working Document SWD/2017/0365 and the accompanying
were adopted by the Commission as part of the Clean Mobility Package (Mobility package II).
These documents did not include the assessment of the NPFs of Greece, Malta, Romania and Slovenia, due to either late submission or the need for translations that would have delayed the adoption procedure. The updated
includes the assessment of the NPFs of the above-mentioned Member States and an update of the overall assessment to reflect these new NPFs.
The ReFuelEU Aviation initiative launched on 14 July 2021 contains an obligation on airlines to uplift SAF-blended aviation fuel when departing from EU airports. And at the same time, it introduces an obligation on fuel suppliers to include increasing shares of SAF into jet fuel from 2025 to 2050. These EU-wide harmonised rules for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will apply to all operators and therefore ensure a level-playing field.
Policy and other related documents
EU launches clean fuel strategy
Directive 2014/94/EU on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
Summary of the Impact Assessment
Staff Working Document: Actions towards a comprehensive EU framework on LNG for shipping