As of 29 September 2014, the European Union has adopted with the "Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure" rules for ensuring the build-up of alternative refuelling points across Europe. Member States are now facing the challenge of providing a minimum infrastructure and common EU-standards for needed equipment and user information for alternative fuels such as electricity, liquefied and compressed natural gas and hydrogen. In this respect, Member States must set and make public their targets and present their national policy frameworks by end 2016.

For LNG and CNG as fuel, the Directive sets the regulatory framework as follows:

• For the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for road transport, Member States have to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points, with common standards, on the TEN-T core network, ideally every 400 km, to be built by end-2025. The directive also requires a minimum coverage to ensure accessibility of LNG in main maritime and inland ports. In case of inland barges and maritime ships, the access to LNG will substantially contribute to lowering negative externalities such as air emissions and noise as well as overcoming barriers that so far held back the usage of this clean fuel.

• Regarding compressed natural gas (CNG), the directive requires Member States to ensure a sufficient number of publicly accessible refuelling points, with common standards, to allow the circulation of CNG vehicles, both in urban and sub-urban areas as well as on the TEN-T core network, ideally every 150 km, to be built by end-2025.

Additionally, the directive requires that clear information is given to consumers about the fuels that can be used by a vehicle by using standardised labelling in vehicle manuals, at dealerships and on the recharging and refuelling points. Clear information regarding fuel prices shall as well be made available. Furthermore, information about the geographical location of publicly accessible refuelling points shall be made available by all Member States in an open and non-discriminatory manner.