Minister statement on red diesel

[534l4rk]

Written Ministerial Statement
Red diesel in private pleasure craft
The Economic Secretary to the Treasury (Chloe Smith): I am today announcing that from 1 April 2012 the use of red diesel to propel private pleasure craft will be allowed only within United Kingdom waters.
From 1 April anyone purchasing red diesel for use as fuel for propelling private pleasure craft will be required to make a declaration that the fuel will be used only within UK waters. The declaration will include an acknowledgement that the UK procedures do not affect any restrictions or prohibitions under the national laws of other European Member States regarding fuel used for propelling private pleasure craft.
These changes are being made following a challenge by the European Commission to the UK practice of allowing marked red diesel with full duty paid in private pleasure craft.
The changes announced today will ensure that red diesel can continue to be used in UK coastal waters and on the UK’s inland waterways in accordance with current procedures to the benefit of suppliers and users. It also ensures that users can continue to use red diesel at the rebated rate of duty on fuel used on board for domestic purposes, such as heating and cooking.
HMRC have published the draft legislation on the HMRC website today.
HM Treasury
20 February 2012

[Chris_d]

So effectively you are banned from going abroad unless you can flush your tanks through with expensive white, which isn't available anyway

[boatone]

When I saw the date I confess I suspected an early outbreak of the April Fool genre !

Sounds like an absolute shambles

Mind you, its drawn my attention to an MP I was not previously aware of ! Better keep an eye on her .... she might want the shirts off our backs !

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...=feeds-newsxml

[534l4rk]

So effectively you are banned from going abroad unless you can flush your tanks through with expensive white, which isn't available anyway

It certainly does look difficult for going over. We usually cross via Ramsgate taking bunkers there but if as reputed that they are likely to condemn even traces of red dye I can't see how we can comply without major costs. Begium certainly looks like a no go area.

[sailorman]

It certainly does look difficult for going over. We usually cross via Ramsgate taking bunkers there but if as reputed that they are likely to condemn even traces of red it dye I can't see how we can comply without major costs. Begium certainly looks like a no go area.

You might be under a misunderstanding.
it will be all of the EU region that will be the same rules

[maby]

You might be under a misunderstanding.
it will be all of the EU region that will be the same rules

Indeed. We need to lobby the marinas to switch to white fuel as a matter of urgency.

I did some research relating to the EU directives yesterday and I don't think it is so terribly difficult to switch once unmarked fuel is available. The rules for measuring the presence of marking dye seem to indicate that you can get away with about 1 litre of marked fuel in around 100 litres of unmarked fuel. We need to start running our tanks down and keeping the levels relatively low till unmarked fuel becomes available. Then several partial fill-ups with running close to empty should be enough to become legal.

[534l4rk]

You might be under a misunderstanding.
it will be all of the EU region that will be the same rules

My comment on Belgiun relates to the fact that they seem to have been most critical of our policy. I have had no problems in France Belgium or Holland but I drew attention to the probability of this policy being enforced several months ago.

[rr_123]

Looks like petrol boats will come back into fashion

If I tried to cross the channel in my boat, the least of my worries would be red diesel in the tanks

[miket]

With our departure for Europe planned at beginning May (currently 1,100 litres of red diesel on board) I have emailed both the above for confirmation that this is not an April Fool.

If not, it is yet another demonstration of the crass stupidity and total lack of knowledge of some of the inexperienced "people" (not my 1st choice!!) currently trying to run our country.

[maby]

With our departure for Europe planned at beginning May (currently 1,100 litres of red diesel on board) I have emailed both the above for confirmation that this is not an April Fool.

If not, it is yet another demonstration of the crass stupidity and total lack of knowledge of some of the inexperienced "people" (not my 1st choice!!) currently trying to run our country.

It's no joke - clearly documented on the HMRC web site. And they really had no choice - sooner or later the commission was inevitably going to find against us and we would have been faced with fines against the government. What we need is for the government to tell the EU that they accept things have got to change, give the marinas six months to sell what they are currently holding and refill with white fuel and go back to the commission saying "ok, we're doing what you want, will you cut UK boat owners a bit of slack and promise no fines for the next twelve months?"