Regulations Regarding Conformity Assessment of Petrol and Diesel Fuel

Issued pursuant to
Section 7 of the Law On Conformity Assessment

I. General Provisions

[14 June 2022]

1. The Regulation prescribes the essential requirements and conformity specifications for the object of conformity assessment, i.e. petrol and diesel fuel, the supervision mechanism of the conformity therewith, the authorities performing supervision, and the procedures for performing the abovementioned supervision.

[14 June 2022]

1.¹ Petrol is any volatile mineral oil falling within codes 2710 12 41, 2710 12 45, 2710 12 49, 2710 12 51, and 2710 12 59 of the Combined Nomenclature and intended for internal combustion positive-ignition engines of vehicles.

[22 May 2012]

1.² Diesel fuel is gas oil falling within codes 2710 19 43 and 2710 20 11 of the Combined Nomenclature and intended for internal combustion compression-ignition engines of vehicles.

[1 April 2014]

1.³ Gas oil is a petroleum product falling within codes 2710 19 43 and 2710 20 11 of the Combined Nomenclature and intended for use in non-road mobile machinery, agricultural and forestry tractors, recreational craft, and also engines referred to in the laws and regulations regarding the building, conformity assessment, and making available on the market of recreational craft, the laws and regulations regarding the emission of polluting substances into the air from the internal combustion engines of non-road mobile machinery, and the laws and regulations regarding the conformity assessment of tractors, trailers and their components to be used in agricultural or forestry.

[22 May 2012]

1.⁴ [10 December 2019]

1.⁵ Paraffinic diesel fuel is a fuel which is derived from synthesis or hydrotreatment and the quality requirements of which conform to the standard LVS EN 15940+A1+AC:2019 "Automotive fuels. Paraffinic diesel fuel from synthesis or hydrotreatment. Requirements and test methods".

[21 March 2023]

1.⁶ The Regulation shall apply to the fuels offered on the market of Latvia which are used for operating road vehicles and non-road mobile machinery (including inland waterway vessels when they are not navigating the sea), agricultural and forestry tractors, and also recreational craft when they are not navigating the sea, positive-ignition and compression-ignition engines, taking into account the technical requirements of such engines in relation to health protection and environmental protection.

[14 June 2022]

II. Requirements for Petrol

2. Petrol fuel grade shall be indicated at points of retail sale of fuel.

[14 December 2004]

3. [10 December 2019]

4. [10 December 2019]

5. It is prohibited to sell leaded petrol (petrol in the composition of which lead compounds exceed 0.005 g/l when recalculated in the amount of pure lead) in Latvia.

[30 July 2002; 14 December 2004]

6. [14 December 2004]

7. The method specified in the standard LVS EN 237:2008 L "Liquid petroleum products. Petrol. Determination of low lead concentrations by atomic absorption spectrometry" shall be used as the basic method (basic method for determining a specific petrol parameter) for determining the lead content in any type of petrol.

[21 March 2023]

8. Petrol which is intended for operating internal combustion positive-ignition engines and whose quality indicators conform to the indicators specified in Annex 1 to this Regulation and the laws and regulations regarding biofuel quality requirements, conformity assessment, market surveillance, and procedures for informing consumers may be sold in Latvia.

[21 June 2011]

8.¹ Petrol the research octane number of which is 95 or higher but lower than 98 (petrol fuel grade 95) may be sold only if bioethanol conforming to the laws and regulations regarding the sustainability criteria for biofuels and bioliquids, the mechanism for introducing thereof, and the procedures by which they shall be supervised and monitored has been added thereto in the amount of at least 9.5 per cent by volume of the total volume of mixture. Petrol the research octane number of which is 98 or higher but lower than 100 (petrol fuel grade 98) may be sold only if bioethanol conforming to the laws and regulations regarding the sustainability criteria for biofuels and bioliquids, the mechanism for introducing thereof, and the procedures by which they shall be supervised and controlled has been added thereto in the amount of not more than 5 per cent by volume of the total volume of mixture.

[10 December 2019 / See Paragraph 34]

8.² The requirements referred to in Paragraphs 8 and 8.¹ of this Regulation shall not apply to:

8.² 1. petrol used in internal combustion positive-ignition engines of racing sports cars if the sports car has been registered with the Road Traffic Safety Directorate in accordance with specific procedures and the note "sports" has been made in the vehicle registration certificate;

8.² 2. petrol which is used in engines of aviation transport.

[25 June 2009]

8.³ The content of metal additive methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) in fuel may not exceed 6 mg of Mn per litre. If an economic operator has added metal additives to petrol which is sold in retail, indications of the content of the metal additive in petrol shall be placed in a clearly visible place at all points of sale of fuel where fuel with metal additives is available to consumers, containing the following text of labelling: Satur metālu piedevas [Contains additives of metals]. This labelling shall be placed together with the information on the fuel type. The dimensions of the labelling and letters shall be clearly visible and easy to read.

[21 June 2011]

III. Requirements for Diesel Fuel and Gas Oil

[14 December 2014]

9. Petrol which is intended for operating internal combustion compression-ignition engines and the quality indicators of which conform to the indicators specified in Annex 2 to this Regulation and the laws and regulations regarding biofuel quality requirements, conformity assessment, market surveillance, and procedures for informing consumers may be sold in Latvia.

[21 June 2011]

9.¹ Diesel fuel may be sold only if biofuel conforming to the laws and regulations regarding sustainability criteria for biofuels and bioliquids, the mechanism for introducing thereof, and the procedures by which they shall be supervised and controlled has been added thereto in the amount of at least 6.5 per cent by volume of the total volume of mixture.

[10 December 2019]

9.² The requirements referred to in Paragraph 9.¹ of this Regulation shall not apply to:

9.² 1. diesel fuel which is used in engines of maritime transport fleet ships;

9.² 2. diesel fuel which is used in engines of aviation transport;

9.² 3. diesel fuel of grades 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to be used in arctic and sever winter conditions in accordance with the standard LVS EN 590:2022 "Automotive fuels. Diesel. Requirements and test methods" which is sold:

9.² 3.1. in retail if a fuel retailer is selling fuel received from a fuel wholesaler;

9.² 3.2. in retail if a fuel retailer is selling fuel imported by itself or brought in from a European Union Member State in the period from 1 November to 31 March;

9.² 3.3. in wholesale if such economic operators are selling it in the period from 1 November to 31 March which have the special permit (licence) for the wholesale of fuel or the special permit (licence) for the operation of an approved warehousekeeper, or the special permit (licence) for the operation of a registered consignee (except for selling under excise duty suspension arrangement).

[25 June 2009; 21 June 2011; 1 April 2014; 23 January 2018; 10 December 2019; 21 March 2023]

10. [21 June 2011]

IV. Conformity Assessment of Petrol and Diesel Fuel

11. Conformity of petrol and diesel fuel (hereinafter - the fuel) with the requirements of this Regulation shall be confirmed by a conformity certificate issued by the certification authority which has been accredited with the national accreditation body in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the evaluation, accreditation, and supervision of conformity assessment bodies or by a conformity assessment body accredited by another European Union Member State. An accredited conformity assessment body shall issue a conformity certificate based on test reports of an accredited testing laboratory, interpreting them in accordance with the following standards:

11.1. LVS EN ISO 4259-1:2018 "Petroleum and related products. Precision of measurement methods and results. Determination of precision data in relation to methods of test";

11.2. LVS EN ISO 4259-2:2018 "Petroleum and related products. Precision of measurement methods and results. Part 2: Interpretation and application of precision data in relation to methods of test";

11.3. LVS EN ISO 4259-3:2020 "Petroleum and related products. Precision of measurement methods and results. Part 3: Monitoring and verification of published precision data in relation to methods of test";

11.4. LVS EN ISO 4259-4:2022 "Petroleum and related products. Precision of measurement methods and results. Part 4: Use of statistical control charts to validate 'in-statistical-control' status for the execution of a standard test method in a single laboratory".

[21 March 2023]

12. When supplying the fuel produced in another European Union Member State for the sale thereof in Latvia, the conformity of the fuel with the requirements of this Regulation may also be confirmed by a conformity statement to which a fuel test report of an accredited testing laboratory on the relevant fuel batch has been appended.

[10 December 2019]

13. The supplier shall include at least the following information in the conformity statement:

13.1. the name and legal address of the producer or its authorised representative;

13.2. the name, address of the supplier and the number of the container;

13.3. the fuel grade and main characteristics of the petrol or diesel fuel grade;

13.4. the identification of the petrol or diesel fuel batch;

13.5. the quantity of petrol or diesel fuel;

13.6. the name of an accredited (in accordance with the requirements of the standard LVS EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018 "General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories") testing laboratory, the accreditation body, the number and date of the test report;

13.7. the statement on the conformity of the fuel with the requirements of this Regulation;

13.8. the position, signature, and full name of the issuer of the declaration, date and place of issue.

[22 April 2004; 21 March 2023]

13.¹ The cold filter plugging point of diesel fuel (in degrees Celsius) and the fuel grade in accordance with the standard LVS EN 590:2022 "Automotive fuels. Diesel. Requirements and test methods" shall be indicated, from 1 November to 31 March, at points of retail sale of fuel on technological equipment of petrol stations in a place that is clearly visible to the customer. Fuel dispenser pumps and fuel dispenser nozzles shall be labelled in accordance with the requirements included in the standard LVS EN 16942+A1:2021 "Fuels. Identification of vehicle compatibility. Graphical expression for consumer information".

[21 March 2023]

14. Any expenditures related to conformity assessment of fuel shall be covered by the owner or possessor of the fuel.

V. Fuel Market Surveillance

15. The enforcement of this Regulation shall be supervised by the State Construction Control Bureau and the Consumer Rights Protection Centre within the limits of their competence.

[10 December 2019]

15.¹ The State Construction Control Bureau shall, using the Energy Resource Information System, ensure the fuel quality surveillance and control and, when organising the annual fuel quality monitoring, comply with the requirements included in the standard LVS EN 14274:2013 "Automotive fuels. Assessment of petrol and diesel quality. Fuel quality monitoring system (FQMS)". Fuel samples shall be tested by the accredited conformity assessment body in conformity with the test methods determined in the standards LVS EN 228+A1:2017 "Automotive fuels. Unleaded petrol. Requirements and test methods", LVS EN 590:2022 "Automotive fuels. Diesel. Requirements and test methods", and LVS EN 16640:2017 "Bio-based products. Bio-based carbon content. Determination of the bio-based carbon content using the radiocarbon method".

[21 March 2023]

16. [23 January 2018]

17. The fuel importer, producer, wholesaler, or retailer shall, upon request of the State Construction Control Bureau, present documents certifying the conformity of fuel quality.

[10 December 2019]

18. The expenditures related to the supervision of the conformity of fuel quality shall be covered from the funds of the State Construction Control Bureau, but, if it is established that the fuel does not conform to the requirements indicated in this Regulation, the abovementioned expenditures shall be covered by the relevant fuel owner or possessor within 20 working days after receipt of an invoice from the State Construction Control Bureau.

[10 December 2019]

19. [23 January 2018]

20. The fuel importer, producer, wholesaler, or retailer shall be responsible for compliance with the requirements referred to in this Regulation.

21. Expenditures for the storage, transportation, and disposal (processing) of fuel not conforming to the requirements of this Regulation shall be covered by the owner or possessor of the fuel.

22. Undertakings which sell the diesel fuel referred to in Paragraph 32 of this Regulation shall ensure separate storage, accounting, and sale thereof. The abovementioned undertakings shall be responsible for selling such diesel fuel only for use in railway vehicles and agricultural and forestry tractors.

[21 June 2011]

22.¹ The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development shall, once a year, submit corresponding environmental information to the European Commission on the relevant agglomeration or zone and also on the foreseeable environmental impact of the proposed measures.

[14 December 2004; 23 January 2018]

22.² The State Revenue Service shall, each year by 1 June, submit information to the State Construction Control Bureau on the amount of petrol and diesel fuel sold in Latvia (information shall be obtained in accordance with the laws and regulations in the field of the circulation of excisable goods). The State Construction Control Bureau shall, each year by 15 July, prepare a fuel quality report for the previous year according to the form published on the website maintained by the European Environment Agency. The supervisory authority shall, each year by 31 August, submit a fuel quality report in the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET) and inform the European Commission thereof.

[10 December 2019]

22.³ If a State energy crisis is declared, economic operators which provide the emergency stock service of petroleum products for the establishment of State petroleum product (fuel) emergency stocks and also other economic operators which sell fuel are entitled to sell the amount of petroleum products (fuel) stored in State petroleum product emergency stocks without biofuel.

[21 June 2011; 10 December 2019]

VI. Closing Provisions

[14 June 2022]

23. The Regulation shall come into force on 1 January 2002.

24. Sub-paragraphs 8.7 and 9.5 of this Regulation shall come into force on 1 January 2009. Undertakings which own at least 30 refuelling stations shall ensure that from 1 January 2005 petrol and diesel fuel meeting the requirements of Sub-paragraphs 8.7 and 9.5 are available in at least one refuelling station of these undertakings which have been placed by any of the main State motor roads for servicing the traffic flow. The entrepreneur shall place indications in these points of sale of the types of fuel being sold and also shall provide with this information all refuelling stations which have been placed by the relevant main State motor road for servicing the traffic flow until the next refuelling station of this type.

[14 December 2004]

24.¹ Sub-paragraphs 8.5 and 8.6 of this Regulation shall come into force on 1 May 2003.

[18 March 2003]

25. From 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008, the permissible sulphur content in petrol and diesel fuel which is determined using the methods specified in the standard LVS EN ISO 20884 "Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry" or the standard LVS EN ISO 20847 "Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry", or the standard LVS EN ISO 20846 " Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Ultraviolet fluorescence method" may not exceed 50 mg/kg (in case of a dispute, the method specified in the standard LVS EN ISO 20884 shall be used). The petrol and diesel fuel brought into the Republic of Latvia until 31 December 2004 where the permissible sulphur content which has been determined using the methods provided for in the abovementioned standards exceeds 50 mg/kg but does not exceed 150 mg/kg (for petrol) or 350 gm/kg (for diesel fuel) accordingly may be sold by:

25.1. economic operators which have been issued the licence for the operation of a tax warehousekeeper and approved trader - until 1 May 2005;

25.2. economic operators which have been issued the licence for the wholesale of fuel - until 1 May 2005;

25.3. economic operators which have been issued the licence for the retail of fuel - until 1 June 2005.

[14 December 2004; 8 February 2005]

25.¹ Refuelling stations which have been placed by the main State motor roads for servicing the traffic flow must, from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2008, have an indication of the nearest refuelling stations where petrol and diesel fuel meeting the requirements of Sub-paragraphs 8.7 and 9.5 of this Regulation are available.

[14 December 2004]

26. [22 April 2004]

27. Sub-paragraph 8.3.3 of this Regulation is repealed from 1 January 2009 and the norm determining that the maximum value of aromatic compounds may not exceed 35,0 % (V/V) of the total volume for petrol intended for operating internal combustion positive-ignition engine shall come into force.

[14 December 2004]

28. Until 1 January 2008, the maximum sulphur content in diesel fuel which is intended to be used in non-road mobile machinery, agricultural and forestry tractors (the maximum sulphur content shall be determined using the methods specified in the standard LVS EN ISO 20846 "Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Ultraviolet fluorescence method" or the standard LVS EN ISO 20847 "Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry", or the standard LVS EN ISO 20884 "Petroleum products. Determination of sulfur content of automotive fuels. Wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry") may not exceed 2000 mg/kg of the mass of diesel fuel which is indicated on a relevant indication at the point of sale (in case of a dispute, the method specified in the standard LVS EN ISO 20884 shall be used).

[14 December 2004]

29. Paragraphs 8.¹ and 9.¹ of this Regulation shall come into force on 1 October 2009.

[25 June 2009]

30. An economic operator which has, until 15 October 2009, declared in the State Revenue Service petroleum product emergency stocks intended for the periods of energy crisis the quality of which conforms to the fuel quality requirements in force until 30 September 2009 is entitled to sell the declared amount of fuel until 30 April 2010.

[3 November 2009]

31. From 1 January 2014, the content of metal additive methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) in fuel may not exceed 2 mg of Mn per litre.

[21 June 2011]

32. Until 31 December 2011, the maximum sulphur content in diesel fuel intended to be used in railway vehicles and agricultural and forestry tractors may not exceed 1000 mg/kg.

[21 June 2011]

33. Upon request of the State Construction Control Bureau, the State Revenue Service shall provide the information available thereto on the performed fuel quality checks.

[10 December 2019]

34. The requirements referred to in Paragraph 8.¹ of this Regulation shall not apply to petrol of grade 95 the retail sale of which has been commenced before 1 January 2020.

[10 December 2019]

35. A fuel retailer may apply the conditions referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3.2 and Paragraph 13.¹ of this Regulation and the economic operator may apply the conditions referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3.3 and Paragraph 13.¹ of this Regulation in 2020 from 7 April to 17 April. In such case, the fuel retailer and the economic operator shall commence the application of the abovementioned conditions in 2020 not earlier than from 17 November.

[7 April 2020]

36. The fuel retailer referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3.2 of this Regulation and the economic operator referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3.3 of this Regulation shall, by 10 April 2020, notify the State Construction Control Bureau of the period from which the conditions referred to in Paragraph 35 of this Regulation will be applied in 2020, taking into account that the interruption in the sale of the fuel referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3 of this Regulation in Latvia must be at least seven months.

[7 April 2020]

37. From 1 July 2022 to 31 December 2023, the fuel retailer or the economic operator referred to in Sub-paragraph 9.² 3.3 of this Regulation need not apply the requirements referred to in Paragraphs 8.¹ and 9.¹ of this Regulation.

[14 June 2022]

Informative Reference to European Union Directives

[10 December 2019]

The Regulation contains legal norms arising from:

1) Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC;

2) Commission Directive 2000/71/EC of 7 November 2000 to adapt the measuring methods as laid down in Annexes I, II, III and IV to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council to technical progress as foreseen in Article 10 of that Directive;

3) Directive 2003/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels;

4) Directive 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas 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;

5) Commission Directive 2011/63/EU of 1 June 2011 amending, for the purpose of its adaptation to technical progress, Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels;

6) Commission Directive 2014/77/EU of 10 June 2014 amending Annexes I and II of Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels;

7) Directive 2014/94/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure;

8) Directive (EU) 2015/1513 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 September 2015 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources.

Prime Minister A. Bērziņš

Minister for Economics A. Kalvītis

Annex 1
Cabinet Regulation No. 332
26 September 2000

[21 March 2023]

Quality Requirements for Unleaded Petrol

Notes.

¹ Test methods shall be those specified in LVS EN 228+A1:2017 "Automotive fuels. Unleaded petrol. Requirements and test methods".

² The values quoted in the specification are "true values". Their limit values have been established in accordance with the standards referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation and the minimum difference of 2R above zero has been established (R = reproducibility). The results of individual measurements shall be interpreted on the basis of the criteria indicated in the standards referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation.

³ The summer period shall begin no later than on 1 June and shall not end before 31 August. The vapour pressure from 1 September to 31 May may not exceed 100 kPa.

⁴ Other mono-alcohols and ethers with a final boiling point no higher than that stated in LVS EN 228+A1:2017 "Automotive fuels. Unleaded petrol. Requirements and test methods".

Annex 2
Cabinet Regulation No. 332
26 September 2000

[21 March 2023]

Quality Requirements for Diesel Fuel

Notes.

¹ Test methods shall be those specified in LVS EN 590:2022 "Automotive fuels. Diesel. Requirements and test methods".

² The values quoted in the specification are "true values". Their limit values have been established in accordance with the standards referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation and the minimum difference of 2R above zero has been established (R = reproducibility). The results of individual measurements shall be interpreted on the basis of the criteria indicated in the standards referred to in Paragraph 11 of this Regulation.

³ Fatty acid methyl esters shall conform to the standard LVS EN 14214+A2:2019 "Liquid petroleum products. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) for use in diesel engines and heating applications. Requirements and test methods".

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