EU launches new fuel labels at the pump

In Belgium, the European Commission launched new common and harmonized set of fuel labels throughout all 28 European Union member states, the EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey. This should help alleviate EU consumer confusion when traveling across borders that had different labeling systems. The new fuel labels will be compulsory for use on newly produced vehicles and at all filling stations as well as at vehicle dealerships.

The EU press release states that the “growing diversity of fuels available on the market implies an increasing need to provide drivers with clear and straightforward information on the compatibility of the fuels sold at filling stations and on their vehicles. The newly common fuel labels will provide improved information in a harmonized and easy-to-read manner.”

The new labels are divided into three groups, with a unique identifying shape for each type of fuel: gasoline will be marked with an E inside a circle, diesel with a B inside a square, and gaseous fuels will be marked with a rhombus. The information inside the shape indicates the maximum biofuel content in the fuel that is recommended for use by the vehicle that is equipped with the new label.