Chemical marker being used with diesel
Enemalta has started adding a marker chemical to diesel and other fuel it imports so as to detect any contraband, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech has confirmed in Parliament.
He said the measure was introduced last April. The chemical that is used is less harmful to health than the diesel itself.
In March, Customs Department officials discovered more than 10,000 litres of contraband diesel hidden in tanks during a search at a farm in the limits of Ċirkewwa.
A few days previously, a bowser and several tanks containing contraband diesel were found at Xrobb L-Ghagin. A bowser and three 1,000-litre plastic tanks full of diesel were also found in a garage in Zejtun.
Six plastic tanks each containing 1,000 litres of diesel were found on a truck in Marsaxlokk by Customs officials in October.
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James Green
Jun 22nd 2010, 18:07
Is there a some sort of restriction in the free movement of goods within the EU, or rather between the EU and Malta?
We have the notorious vehicle 'registration' tax, which is a pereniial headache for EU legislators each time it resurfaces under a different guise.
Are fuels also restricted because of some locally cobbled up tax?
Free movement of goods or are some goods less free to move than others?
Matthew Borg
Jun 22nd 2010, 18:59
Having studied this topic, I can confirm that the car registration tax (unfortunately) is not seen as a prohibition to the free movement of goods principally because Malta does not have a car manufacturing industry and therefore is not protecting domestic products over imported ones. See cases such as Commission vs. Greece for more details, which are similar in scenario.
Re: fuels; per se there shouldn't be a restriction on the importation of fuel if it comes from Europe - therefore, if one wanted to start importing fuel from Italy, I don't think he would be in a position not to import it freely into Malta. However, it is no secret that something must be done in this sector especially as Enemalta has a monopoly over the fuel market, which is unacceptable and anti-competitive under Article 102 TFEU. I wish someone would take the state to court over this, in fact; any agreement that Malta might have had initially upon entry into the EU should have expired by now.
Mark Bishop
Jun 22nd 2010, 13:38
Quote: "The chemical that is used is less harmful to health than the diesel itself"
That just means that Diesel is now little less than twice as harmful to human health. (Diesel + Additive)
Thank you Health Officials, Enemalta and the eco-gimmick Government altogether.
S. Zammit
Jun 22nd 2010, 13:54
I'm not going into any political merits, but by your logic this marker would have to be in equal amounts as diesel, which is not even remotely close to reality.
J. Grima
Jun 22nd 2010, 14:03
And yet the government still wants to make us believe that the Diesel power Powerstation was the most eco-friendly and healthiest option there was......
Julian Borg
Jun 22nd 2010, 14:05
"That just means that Diesel is now little less than twice as harmful to human health. (Diesel + Additive)"
You can't make this statement without knowledge of the ratio additive:diesel. And even so, if the additive is less harmful than diesel, then the mixture diesel + additive will be less harmful than diesel on its own (per unit volume).
In any case, the additive would be present only in trace quantities.
lgalea
Jun 22nd 2010, 14:14
S. Zammit in whatever amount it is added it is another harmful agent that previously was not added to diesel. This means that the present diesel and as long as the marker continues to be used increases the harm.
M.Cachia
Jun 22nd 2010, 16:37
Not really Mr. Galea. If the additive is added in minute amounts - such as 0.1%v/v the harm would be negligible. We don't know what %v/v is being added so we should be hasty in our arguments.
Jonas Thor
Jun 22nd 2010, 13:34
So what is stated here is that the green chemical added to the diesel fuel will make it more harmful to health then it is without the green chemical. It is stated that green chemical is not as harmful as the fuel on its own. What is the percentage increase of harmful effects that are added to the diesel fuel, and what are the health guidelines being used to regulated the amount of additive needed? Has anybody taken thought to this actions in this regard?