The official announcement has just been released, stating that the launch date of November 21, 2024, for the Union Database (UDB) is not binding. Instead, each member state's position will be decisive. If the proposal is approved by the Czech Parliament in the coming days, it will apply to liquid fuels starting January 1, 2025, and to gaseous fuels a year later.
For us, this news has both positive and negative implications. On the positive side, it means that partially functional software doesn't need to be implemented immediately. This is certainly a relief for companies affected by the new requirement. Many of our clients have encountered numerous technical issues within the system, ranging from invalid certificates and missing origins or feedstock types to entirely absent modules.
"I feel great relief whenever I go through a UDB module with a company, and everything works. Unfortunately, that happens only about half the time. For the other half, we run into issues that simply prevent us from using the system," says Dalibor Delong, CEO of REX Solutions. He adds, "That’s why my reaction is partly positive. I'm glad we’ll have more time to resolve these issues. The negative side, however, is that if each member state sets its own rules, companies operating in multiple markets will have to work within two systems simultaneously. This will add to their already heavy administrative burden.
UDB will be an amazing tool—I look forward to it preventing the fraud currently rampant in this sector. I’m also eager for it to become functional enough to ease the workload of these companies. But there is still a long, long way to go.”
The Union Database (UDB) is a system designed to track biomass from its origin, through its conversion into biofuels, to its final consumption. You can read more in our article, "Union Database (UDB) in 5 Questions and Answers."