The dissemination of an EU directive in the Estonian media has led to confusion among drivers and the general public, daily Postimees reports (link in Estonian) and an impression that bureaucrats have pulled a regulation out of thin air which bears little relation to the real world.

It is also not yet clear when the changes will take effect, while the Minsitry of Economic Affairs and Communications has started consultation with the private sector ahead of that.

Ministry departmental chief Indrek Gailan told ETV's "Terevisioon" Friday mornign that: "The interpretation of this European Union directive seems to have taken a life of its own."

One thing the directive will not lead to, he added, is the end of the practice of clearly displaying current pump prices.

"All the prices on all gas station pumps will remain exactly as they are now[in euros per liter]; nothing will change there," Gailan said.

The directive's purpose is to provide additional point of sale information, for instance on an information board placed near gas station cash registers, which will include the fuel consumption per 100km of smaller, medium and larger-engined cars, and the related price-per-km.

This will highlight the relative cost differences between different vehicles and different fuels, Gailan added, while each member state is proposing its own methodology to achieve this, to the European Commission.

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