Fleets committed to operating 100%diesel vehicles will be relieved to hear that a consultant's report advising the European Commission on long-term oil policy has recommended that Brussels increasingly favours diesel over petrol use.

Written by Texas-based Purvin & Gertz, the paper notes that despite recent technical improvements to petrol refining, diesel consumption still emits much less CO2.

It said: “CO2 emissions from these latest gasoline engines remain higher than those from their diesel-powered equivalents.

"If the Commission is to maintain its current position regarding the lowering of CO2 emissions, it should look to encourage as large a consumer uptake of diesels as possible.”

The report said this could be achieved through taxation policies regarding fuels and the vehicles themselves, especially because more complex diesel engines remain more expensive.

It added that: “allowing tax breaks either through lowering the purchase price of diesel vehicles and/or adopting an EU-wide policy of lower diesel fuel duty compared with gasoline can help further the acceptance of diesels.”