New developments are emerging almost daily in the long-running squabble between Britain and Brussels over the UK’s use of red-dyed diesel in leisure craft. Fierce lobbying efforts are ongoing and the enforcement policy of red diesel bans for foreign-flagged yachts on the Continent is best described as a rather fluid situation. To keep our readers up to date on this important issue, we have created this web page as a ‘one-stop shop’ where you can read about all red diesel developments in one place, as they happen. Keep checking back for regular updates.

These updates are published in chronological order with the most recent updates at the top of this list. If you’d like to learn more about the background of this issue, please click here or follow the link at the bottom of the page. To join the debate, visit our Scuttlebut forum.

March 2012
Budget confirms red diesel use
Yachtsmen can motor on with dyed fuel

Burning red diesel in international waters ‘OK’
Following the RYA’s meeting with HMRC earlier this month the Government has publicly confirmed today that it has no intention to make it unlawful for red diesel bought in the UK to be used outside UK territorial waters.

The Westerly Owners’ Association, which represents over 3000 UK yacht owners, published a statement about red diesel which you can read if you click here.

Government changes wording on red diesel
Promise not to fine users outside Home Waters

Our monthly columnist Tom Cunliffe wrote to his MP outlining the complex issues surrounding red diesel. Tom said he received “a prompt and fairly encouraging response” from the Conservative MP


You can read the text of Tom’s letter by clicking here.

Germany fines red diesel yachtsmen
German Customs are hitting red diesel users with huge fines, according to a report flagged up by a Yachting Monthly forum user.

February 2012
Tips on cleaning fuel tank from YM reader Alan Wilson
One of the implications of outlawing red diesel use is that they dye is so strong you’d need to remove every drop of the diesel and clean your tank completely to avoid being hit with a fine. Reader Alan Wilson emailed us with helpful tips on how you can remove the dye from your tank.

Cross-Channel red diesel use outlawed
All yachtsmen using red diesel outside Home Waters will be breaking European law from April 1st. The Treasury has ruled that dyed diesel can be used by pleasure craft within the UK’s 12 mile territorial limit from that date. Yachtsmen will also have to fill in a declaration form pledging that their voyage will not take them into International Waters.
Click here to download the statement from the HRMC.

July 2011
EU accused of bullying yachtsmen
The RYA say Eurocrats are bullying UK yachtsmen over their use of red diesel for propulsion. Even though the UK Government negotiated a deal which allowed sailors to pay a part tax on 40 per cent of their diesel, used for heating, and the full tax on the other 60 per cent. But this arrangement rankles with the EU which does not want yachtsmen using red diesel for propulsion at all.