Poland’s Trade Inspection questioned 2.68 percent of the liquid fuel samples it tested in 2015 — less than the 3.87 percent it deemed substandard in 2014. Diesel fuel quality was at issue in a majority of its objections.

Substandard fuel quality may lead to fuel being used up more quickly. It also deteriorates vehicle engines, which in turn can cause breakdowns. The Trade Inspection has been examining the quality of fuels available in Poland since 2003, including diesel, petrol, LPG, and biofuels. The first checks found that as much as 30 percent of liquid fuels failed to meet quality requirements. The number of irregularities decreased significantly in subsequent years, remaining below five percent. The Act on the system for monitoring and controlling fuel quality has now been in force for nine years. It allows every stage of the distribution chain — producers, warehouses, transport and filling stations — to be controlled.

Stations chosen randomly

Of 933 samples tested at 933 randomly chosen stations across Poland, 2.68 percent failed to meet requirements. Irregularities were found in diesel fuel (4.67 percent) far more often than petrol (1.14 percent). That was less than in 2014, when the Trade Inspection challenged 3.87 percent of the fuels it tested (1.89 percent of the petrol and 6.45 percent of the diesel). Irregularities were also found in 2.63 percent of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) randomly tested, a significant rise over the 0.98% challenged in 2014.

Stations identified in complaints

The Trade Inspection also carried out inspections at petrol stations reported by drivers, others selected by law enforcement agencies, and those where abnormalities had been found in previous years. 9.45 percent of the 603 samples of diesel fuel and petrol taken at 522 stations were identified as substandard. That was more than 3 percent less than the 12.52 percent found in 2014. Here too the objections more often related to diesel, 12.40 percent of which fell below acceptable standards, though that was a significant decrease over the 18.26 percent found in 2014. 2015 controls of petrol, on the other hand, revealed far more irregularities (4.74 percent) than in 2014 (0.58 percent). 10.29 percent of the LPG samples taken in 2015 came in below the inspector’s bar, a slight fall from the 12.5 percent found a year earlier.

The parameters questioned

The most frequently challenged parameters for diesel were its resistance to oxidation as measured in hours (the minimum is 20 h) and too low a flashpoint. For petrol, the failure to hit defined distillation values was the most common problem. The primary irregularity for LPG was total sulfur content exceeding permissible levels, which may corrode engine components.

In 2015 the Trade Inspection issued 13 decisions to withdraw substandard liquid fuels from the market and forwarded to the Energy Regulatory Office (URE) information on 87 petrol stations and wholesalers it determined had violated the terms of their license to trade in liquid fuels and provisions of the Act on energy law. URE has the power to prohibit the sale of fuel to operators who violate the conditions of the concession.

The Trade Inspection also addressed 73 notifications on suspicion of committing a crime to prosecutors. Proceedings have thus far been initiated in 48 cases, with two indictments sent to the courts, 37 dismissals for a variety of reasons, including the lack of a criminal offense, and in nine cases they elected not to initiate proceedings. 25 notifications have yet to be examined by prosecutors and the courts. The existing regulations provide severe penalties for selling substandard quality fuel - a fine of up to 1 million PLN (ca. 240 000 EUR) or imprisonment for from 3 months up to 5 years.

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