European Commission harmonizes biofuels rules with new regulations issue

In Belgium, the European Commission has published a customs Regulation to harmonize the classification of ethanol/petrol blends that are imported into Europe. From April 3 onwards, all imported ethanol/petrol blends that contain 70% ethanol blended with 30% petrol must be classified by EU customs authorities as denatured ethanol.

ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Association, welcomed this regulation and believes that it finally closes a classification loophole which has had extremely damaging consequences for the European ethanol industry.

The new classification rules mean that ethanol blended with less than 30% petrol can no longer be classified as a chemical product and can no longer be eligible for a much lower import duty of 6.5% ad valorem.