19 February 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Keep trying to renew/retain derogation on pleasure craft diesel or mitigate the effects of its loss."
Details of petition:
"The EU is ending the right of pleasure boaters to use rebated gas oil as a propulsion fuel. This will have a devastating effect on the marine pleasure industry, be nigh on impossible to administer and unduly tax domestic energy for many boat dwellers. We ask HM Government to resist this, or failing this to put all possible brakes on its effects or find some loophole, e.g allow use of rebated non-petroleum biodiesel."
Read the Government’s response
The Government’s application to renew the derogation from the EU Energy Products Directive which allows the use of rebated gas oil ("red diesel") in private pleasure craft has been rejected by the European Commission.
The Government is aware that this decision will have disappointed many boat owners and others in the leisure boat industry. Unfortunately there is no scope for overturning the Commission’s decision, but officials have begun the process of meeting concerned and affected organisations to discuss the implications of the Commission’s decision, and the Government will be exploring the options for the most appropriate implementation.