European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) 3.0

The goal? Gathering information on infrastructure roll-out for alternative fuels, the uptake of them, and support measures in the Member States and other European countries within EAFO’s scope.

The Green Deal adopted by the European Commission sets a clear objective: by 2050, transport emissions will have to be reduced by 90% compared to 1990 levels. To this end, the transition from fossil fuels for mobility to alternative fuels needs to be accelerated. Production and use of alternative fuels must be ramped up.

The Commission has therefore installed the EAFO - European Alternative Fuels Observatory. EAFO is the Commission’s knowledge centre on alternative fuels in Europe. It covers all Member States, the EFTA-EEA Member States (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Turkey.

The data gathered by EAFO is essential for the European Commission to monitor the implementation of the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive (2019/94/EU), the proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, and the Clean Vehicles Directive. These pieces of legislation are central to the Commission’s efforts to decarbonise transport, as acknowledged in the European Green Deal and the Smart and Sustainable Mobility Strategy. 

Running from May 2021 until December 2024, it has developed into a critical reference point for information about alternative fuels in Europe, where all interested parties find data on vehicles and infrastructure and information on public incentives and legislation.

The European Commission intends to ensure that EAFO remains the leading reference portal for publicly available information on alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure in the EU. It supports policy-decision making adequately and it is further developed in its functionality and user-friendliness; in 2020 it launched the tender for the third phase of the European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) 3.0, which will include several improvements: 

• Migration of EAFO web portal into the Commission web domain (ec.Europa.eu).
• Added contents and new data sources to extend the scope of the Observatory to the rail and aviation sectors.
• Improved collection, verification, and analysis of relevant alternative fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure data
• New knowledge platform for public authorities.
• An entirely overhauled and simplified website structure for more accessible and user-friendly navigation, including mobile devices.

The development of EAFO 3.0 is a partnership between POLIS Network, FIER Automotive (Lead Partner), Intrasoft, AVERE, VUB, and Eco-Movement.