The European market for biodiesel is developing tempestuously, owing to favourable legal regulations for producers and customers in most of the countries.

Germany
In comparison with other EU-members, Germany did especially well. In 2001, only about 250 thousand tones of biodiesel were produced in Germany. Previous year (2005), sales of biodiesel have already amounted to about 1.8 million tones. In 2005, Germany, as the only EU member, attained a more than two percent share of fuels from renewable sources in the overall volume of consumed fuels, owing to such a high production volume.
In Germany, biodiesel is sold directly to major customers (especially forwarding agencies and carrier), to approx. 2000 filling stations as 100 percent fatty acid methyl ester or as mixture with mineral diesel. Such mixtures with a share of 5% biodiesel are already offered by all large mineral oil companies like Shell, OMV, Total and BP/ARAL.