We have only recently pushed through the legislation demanding low-sulphur fuels by 2005.

So any car can take low-sulphur fuel and it has a positive effect, especially with older types of diesel engines.

Low-sulphur fuel is of course more expensive.

Contrary to the normal rules of economics, the more low-sulphur fuel is required, the more expensive it gets.

The re-evaluation in 2005 will also involve discussion on how sulphur-free or low-sulphur fuels for mobile machinery can be brought onto the market.

We are bringing onto the market cleaner, low-sulphur fuels, which are just what we need for a more progressive approach to vehicle technology.

New engines with lean-burn or common-rail technology need low-sulphur fuels as a technology enabler to allow advanced catalytic converters to function.

Subject to successful sea trials we believe that scrubbing can indeed be considered as an alternative to low-sulphur fuels and not just for the proposed second-phase limit of 0.5%.

In areas where air pollution from sulfur dioxide which causes acid rain is a concern, the ship switches to low-sulphur fuel in order to minimize air pollution.

Reduced sulphur in the fuel affects the lubrificatory properties, which could lead to lower reliability, and higher costs for maintenance and repair, over and above purchasing the more expensive low-sulphur fuel.

Back to NAIADES, though. The report on the subject highlights the need for tighter emission limit values to be laid down across the Community, particularly by promoting the use of low-sulphur fuels.

I agree with her that it is important to make low-sulphur fuels available as soon as possible. This is because technological advances in the automotive industry permit fuel saving, and, more especially, a reduction in polluting emissions.

Tighter control of the dimensions of the cylinder bores and the piston ring pack under running conditions is necessary to bring down the contribution of unburned oil, while low-sulphur fuel will help reduce output of acid rain-causing sulphates.

The changes, which come fully into force in 2012, will compel operators of cruise ships sailing through the area to use costly low-sulphur fuels, which is likely to result in increased prices for passengers and the dropping of destinations from itineraries.

It is, nonetheless, true that refineries need to consume more energy and emit more polluting gases in order to produce these fuels. Also, the environmental advantages of low-sulphur fuels will not be felt until vehicles currently on the roads are replaced.

However, as experience in the Baltic bears out, low-sulphur fuel oil has the advantage of resulting in less maintenance work and better fuel efficiency, so the additional cost of using low-sulphur fuel oil is to some extent compensated by cost savings.