The UK has been fined €32m by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for allowing pleasure boats to use red diesel before Brexit came into effect.
Under EU law, only commercial boats can use lower-tax dyed diesel, following a ruling by the ECJ in October 2018.
In Ireland a ban on green diesel use by pleasure boats came into effect on 1 January 2020. But a similar ban was not introduced for red diesel use in Northern Ireland until October 2021.
The ECJ brought proceedings against the UK in early 2020, and said the rule had applied to the whole of the UK for almost three years since the original ruling, therefore it was irrelevant that it only applied in NI since Brexit came into force in January 2021.
The court also determined that even though the UK is no longer a member state, it is still bound by some EU rules because of Northern Ireland’s unique position within the single market — meaning that its fine was based on the size of the UK’s economy as a whole.
Marine Industry News has more on the story HERE.
