European Union
Afton Chemical Limited v. Secretary of State for Transport (European Court of Justice, 2010)
Jurisdiction: European Court of Justice
Principle law(s): Fuel Quality (Directives 2009/30/EC and 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce GHG emissions and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC)
Side A: Afton Chemical Limited (Corporation)
Side B: Secretary of State for Transport (Government)
Core objectives: MMT producer challenged limits and labeling requirements on the use of MMT
Summary
Afton Chemical, a British MMT producer, challenged the EU limits and labeling requirements for the use of the metallic fuel additive MMT. The European Court of Justice ruled that the limit on MMT, adopted in the revised fuel quality Directive 98/70/EC, does not violate the precautionary principle and the principles on equal treatment and proportionality. The court concluded that the EC places significant weight on the protection of human health and the environment. Reducing the health and environmental risks associated with MMT use outweighs the economic interests of Afton Chemical.Case documents
Related laws and policies
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This law implements European Union legislation
Fuel Quality (Directives 2009/30/EC and 2015/1513 amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce GHG emissions and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC)
The directives provide the legislative basis for reducing the GHG intensity of fuels used in vehicles for transport by 10% by 2020. They apply to all fuels used in road transport, including petrol, diesel and biofuels, and to gasoil that is used in non-road mobile machinery. The 10% target compr...
