EU - Question and Answer - November 3, 2002

To Dr Simon Busuttil, Malta-EU Information Centre:

In a previous "EU - Question and Answer" it is stated that "cars that use leaded petrol will be able to use unleaded petrol mixed with an additive at the petrol station".

Does this mean that unleaded petrol is being supplied ready mixed with the additive?

I enclose a photocopy of a warning in my car's instruction manual which reads: "Caution: serious damage to the engine may occur if unleaded or a lower octane number fuel than that recommended is used."

A tin of additive "instead of lead" costing Lm1.63, lasts for approximately 25 gallons of unleaded petrol and I feel it is unfair that, over and above the fact that leaded petrol is the costliest commodity, one has to be burdened with extra cost for the additive.

Considering that lead from petrol is gradually being reduced to nil, what is the government's future position in this respect? (Joe Attard)

The Malta-EU Information Centre gave us the following answer:

By the end of 2002, leaded petrol will be phased out and will be replaced by unleaded RON95 petrol. Cars that run on leaded petrol can use lead replacement petrol that will be available directly at petrol stations. Lead replacement petrol consists of unleaded petrol mixed with a chemical or additive.

The Maltese government recently announced that lead replacement petrol would not be more expensive than leaded petrol today. This means that people who own a car that runs on leaded petrol will not be subjected to an increase in costs once leaded petrol is phased out at the end of this year. Note however that when one makes a comparison between leaded and unleaded petrol, today there is already a price difference of 3c in favour of unleaded.

Leaded petrol was phased out in EU member states in a bid to address the problem of air pollution. Lead in the air causes a number of respiratory diseases. This is another reason why cars manufactured today all run on unleaded petrol. During negotiations, Malta initially asked for a transition period until the end of 2007 to phase out leaded petrol. Subsequently it withdrew this request and brought forward its plans to phase out leaded petrol by the end of 2002. It is also worth noting that in 2001 the level of lead in leaded petrol was already reduced from 4 g per litre down to 0.15. (Dr Simon Busuttil, head, MIC)

Last Sunday some of these points were referred to. However this letter makes things clearer. Indeed there is no EU-related question which Dr Busuttil and his team at the MIC cannot answer.