Austria's Fuel Regulation amended: biofuel compliance obligations may now be transferred to third parties
A new §7a introduced by BGBl. II Nr. 285/2026 allows companies subject to Austria's biofuel substitution and greenhouse-gas-reduction obligations to transfer part or all of their compliance duties to third parties under strict conditions. The rules apply immediately, with a special extended window for the 2025 reporting year running until 30 November 2026.
What changed
New §7a permits obligated fuel suppliers (Substitutionsverpflichtete) to transfer their biofuel substitution obligations (§§5 and 7, partially) and greenhouse-gas reduction obligations (§6, fully or partially) to third parties by written contract. The majority of §§5 and 7 obligations must still be met by the obligated party itself. Transferred biofuels and renewable fuels must be placed on the Austrian market within the obligation year and meet all quality requirements.
Who is affected
Fuel suppliers and distributors in Austria who are legally required to blend biofuels or hit greenhouse-gas reduction targets. Third parties wishing to take on obligations must either not themselves be subject to the same duties, or must have already received confirmation from the Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Federal Environment Agency) that their own obligations for that year are fulfilled. Quantities a third party fulfils on behalf of one obligated party cannot be reused for another.
What to look out for
Every transfer requires a written contract stating which fuels or emission quantities are covered, the quantities involved, and the relevant obligation period. Transfers must be registered in the elNa online platform (run by Umweltbundesamt GmbH) between 1 September and 30 September of the year following the reporting year. For the 2025 reporting year only, this window is extended to 1 September–30 November 2026 (§7a Abs. 6a, in force 30 September 2026, expiring 1 December 2026). If a third party fails to report correctly, the transfer is deemed invalid and the original obligated party remains responsible.