(Mar. 31, 2017) On March 10, 2017, Indonesia’s Ministry of the Environment and Forestry (Kementerian Lingkungan Hidup dan Kehtanan) issued a regulation considered to be a “legal umbrella” for the adoption of EURO IV emission levels. Djati Witjaksono, a spokesperson for the Ministry, stated that the new regulation would enter into force when officially issued by the Minister, Sitit Nurbaya Bakar. (Moses Ompusunggu, Regulation on EURO IV Adoption Signed, JAKARTA POST (Mar. 28, 2107).)
The EURO IV emissions standard, developed by the European Union as part of a series of increasingly strict standards on vehicle emissions, requires automobiles to use fuel with sulfur content of 50 parts per million or less. The fourth-level standards came about through Directive 98/69/EC, which was amended by Directive 2002/80/EC. (Directive 98/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 Relating to Measures to Be Taken Against Air Pollution by Emissions from Motor Vehicles and Amending Council Directive 70/220/EEC, 1998 O.J. (L 350) 1, EUR-LEX; Commission Directive 2002/80/EC of 3 October 2002 Adapting to Technical Progress Council Directive 70/220/EEC Relating to Measures to Be Taken Against Air Pollution by Emissions from Motor Vehicles, 2002 O.J. (L 291) 20, EUR-LEX; Ompusunggu, supra; EU: Cars and Light Trucks, DIESELNET (last updated Dec. 2016).)
Since 2005, Indonesia has followed a less stringent standard, referred to as EURO II. Indonesia is one of only three Asian countries to use the looser standard, and also is one of a few nations worldwide to allow high octane gasoline use. (Ompusunggu, supra.)