The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection is responsible for managing the system of monitoring and scrutinizing the quality of fuels. Its purpose is to ensure the safety of vehicle users and to protect their economic interests by eliminating from the market petrol, diesel fuel, light heating oil and various types of gases which do not meet the applicable requirements.

The Office cooperates with the Trade Inspection that controls a whole distribution chain – starting from a petrol station through wholesale outlets and fuel bases to a producer. Such inspections may also cover farmers who produce liquid biofuels for their own purposes, owners and users of selected car fleets and, upon the Police’s request – enterprises dealing in fuel transport.

Petrol stations are randomly selected for control. The basis for sending inspectors to given places may also be drivers’ complaints, police or prosecution agency information, as well as results of previous controls.

The quality control is carried out in two monitoring periods:

• from 1 May to 30 September (the summer period),
• from 1 October to 30 April (the winter period).

Producing, transporting, storing or entering to circulation fuels that do not comply with quality standards is subject to a fine of up to PLN 1 million and 5 years of imprisonment.

Every year, a summary report on the results of fuel quality inspections in Poland is submitted to the Polish Council of Ministers and the European Commission, which in turn prepares a report concerning all Member States of the European Union.